Ding Junhui edges Luca Brecel to meet O'Sullivan

World
Europe

China's Ding Junhui reached the last four of the Masters for the first time since winning the title in 2011, with a 6-5 victory over Belgium's Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals at the Alexandra Palace in London on Thursday.

It's 31-year-old Ding's 15th appearance in the formal stage of this Triple Crown event. With the match tied at 4-all, the man known as the "Star of the East" played a long bank shot, on his third attempt to move the red off the rail. Ding got the cue ball close, but the referee called there's no contact, meaning that he was forced to forfeit the frame.

Luca Brecel vs. Ding Junhui during the quarter-finals of Masters Snooker, Alexandra Palace, London, UK, January 17, 2019. /VCG Photo

It looked disastrous at the time as it put the 23-year-old Belgian 5-4 ahead in a race to six, but Ding fought back impressively, winning the final two frames to clinch the game.

The Jiangsu native jumped out to a big lead in the 11th and final frame, and knocking the yellow into the corner pocket, even while scratching, but good enough to wrap up the 6-5 victory.

Ding will face seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals. The 43-year-old “Rocket” recorded his 989th career ton and six half-centuries in a 6-3 win over Ryan Day.