MrQ UK Championship: Barbican win provides perfect tonic for Ding Junhui on return to York

The former world No 1 may call Sheffield his adopted home since arriving in England from China as a teenager.

But it is York, and the UK Championship which have seen the 36-year-old experience some of his finest moments on the table.

He has three UK crowns – two came in York, including his first as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, one when the event was staged in Telford – and was runner-up to Mark Allen 12 months ago.

So the sight of Ding being forced to go through two rounds of qualifying in Leicester simply to reach the televised stages at this year’s Barbican seemed quite harsh, punishment for falling out of the world’s top 16 earlier this month.

A rematch with Allen in the first round simply added to the intrigue.

Ding – suffering from dizziness and a fever – considered pulling out of the tournament due to illness before a ball was potted, but dragged himself out of his sick bed to beat Allen 6-5.

“I was in the doctors to get some tablets and they haven’t worked yet,” admitted Ding. “In the morning I couldn’t even stand.

“I thought I maybe wouldn’t be able to play today. I just made it happen and I felt a bit better before the match started. I was thinking of just giving a walkover for this game. I tried to play.

“My temperature was up to 39 and I couldn’t walk straight, I couldn’t walk over (to the venue).”

Ding certainly looked like he was suffering, and was probably relieved to still be in the contest after sharing the opening four frames.

In last year’s final Ding had seen a 6-1 lead wiped out, as Allen won 10-7.

Fast forward 12 months and it was Allen who made a flying start with a 67 break.

But Ding pinched the next two frames in unlikely fashion, before the Irishman levelled at 2-2.

Breaks of 106 and 60 saw Allen go 4-2 in front, to leave Ding slumped in his chair, with his eyes closed.

The Chinese potter could have been forgiven for feeling sorry for himself, and throwing in the towel.

But contributions of 79 and 63 restored parity, before Ding again pinched the next frame, a 71 clearance doing the damage after Allen faltered and ran out of position on 65.

Allen forced the decider with a break of 70 but a missed red to the left middle gave Ding his chance, and a 102 break secured a second-round match with Tom Ford.

“Every time he made 60 or 50 and I had a chance, I was straight into the black ball area,” said Ding. “I made the points that I could. I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I couldn’t think about it that way, because I don’t feel very good.”

Allen said: “It was a strange game. I felt like I was in complete control in so many frames and kept losing the frames I was ahead in. I was 5-4 down and I didn’t know how. On another day I win that match 6-1. If you don’t take your chances in this game they come back to bite you and Ding made a good break in the last.

“I’m disappointed to lose. I don’t want to go out in the first round of the UK, but I played well there.

“I played much better than Ding did. It was just one of those strange games that happens now and again. I did all of the scoring in the game. There were just a few silly mental errors on safeties.”

Ford and Jamie Clarke both staged stunning comebacks from 5-1 down to win 6-5.

World No 16 Ford battled back to edge out Noppon Saengkham, while Welshman Clarke matched the feat against Kyren Wilson.

Saengkham fired in breaks of 54, 126, 58, 100 and 127 to go 5-1 ahead. Leicester’s Ford replied with 61 and 130 to force a deciding frame.

The Thailand cueman looked set to crawl over the line, but ran out of position on 55, allowing Ford to seize his chance with a 66 clearance.

“I’m smiling and that doesn’t normally happen very often,” said Ford, 40. “I was 5-1 down, but I seemed to have a chance every frame. I was blowing them, but when he got in he scored so well. I just kept on fighting and luckily enough I got a few frames back. I thought I was still in it and knuckled down.

“I had no chance of winning that match a few years ago. I’d have already been out of the building. I’d have most likely smashed the pack and gone. I tried to stay as focused as I could, get a couple of frames back and see what happens.

“I was sat there at 5-5, when he was on a break and I was thinking I’d done all of that for nothing. I tried to keep the self belief and fortunately when he let me in the balls went perfect. It was down to me at the end of the day to mess it up, but luckily I kept my nerve and got over the line.”

Clarke pulled off an almost identical escape after breaks of 80, 104, 52 and 76 thwarted Wilson.

“That was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had on a snooker table. I couldn’t believe I won in the end,” said Clarke, 29.

Clarke next faces compatriot Mark Williams in the last 16, the three-time world champion beating Sheffield-based Fan Zhengyi 6-4.

Williams said: “It was a good win for me. I didn’t play too well to be honest. I got a brand new tip on yesterday. The table was really reactive and was excellent. The crowd was excellent. What an atmosphere walking in there, I just didn’t play too well. I’m happy to get through and I potted a good long red in the last frame.”