'China's Ding Junhui plays in the second round against Neil Robertson from Australia at Shanghai Masters, September 11, 2019. /VCG Photo
Chinese snooker top player, two-time champion Ding Junhui faced Neil Robertson from Australia in the second round at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. World number nine Ding was not in top form lately, and it showed against the 2010 world champion as he lost to Robertson 6-3.
Ding went for a long red in the first frame but missed. Breaks of 72, 82, 101, and 69 saw world number four Robertson a lead 4-0.
Ding won his first frame after the break. However, Robertson took the sixth with a break of 79. Then, the Aussie missed the blue and broke up the reds for Ding, and the Chinese seized the opportunity with a break of 83.
Ding got lucky in the eighth frame which he won to trail 5-3. But Robertson claimed the next and sank the lovely long bank shot with the rest no less. The Aussie finished Ding off 6-3 to meet Barry Hawkins in the last eight.
'China's Liang Wenbo plays in the second round against Mark Allen from Northern Ireland at Shanghai Masters, Shanghai, September 11, 2019. / VCG Photo
Another Chinese snooker player Liang Wenbo, met Mark Allen who's wondering how the gum got on the ceiling at the same day. The Northern Irishman won three frames in a row to lead 4-3. Liang then went up 5-4. But World No. 7 Allen leveled things at 5-5.
In the deciding frame, Liang missed a crucial red. That's all Allen needed to eliminate the last Chinese and set up a meeting with world number one Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.