Chinese snooker star Ding advances to third round at Xi'an Grand Prix

Home favorite Ding Junhui cruised past Northern Ireland's Jordan Brown 5-1 at the WST (World Snooker Tour) Xi'an Grand Prix in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Wednesday, advancing to the third round.

The 38-year-old Chinese veteran took control from the beginning, building a 3-0 lead after three frames, including firing a 120-point break in the third. Brown had a chance to pull one back in the fourth, but made an ill-timed error that cost him the frame, further deepening his deficit.

Both players committed miscues in the fifth frame before Brown put it away to get back into the hunt. He followed up with more mistakes in the sixth, however, and Ding took advantage by rolling in a 97-point break to seal the deal.

"My opponent played really hard to close the gap, but I think he wasn't in good form, and missed some chances in the match," said Ding, who will face England's Louis Heathcote next.

Another Englishman, Robert Milkins, fended off China's world champion Zhao Xintong 5-2. Zhao took the first and third frames, but his advantage never lasted long, as Milkins leveled the contest twice before reeling off three straight frames to complete the victory.

He will face compatriot Jimmy Robertson in the third round.