Ding secures a spot in Six Red World Championship final with a victory over Ford
Chinese snooker star Ding Junhui secured his spot in the final of the Six Red World Championship after beating Tom Ford 7-4 in a thrilling semi-final match held in Pathum Thani. Ding, a 14-time ranking event winner, is set to face Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the final for the third time. The tournament’s grand finale will be a best-of-15 frames match, with a top prize of just over £100,000 and a trophy presented by the King of Thailand at stake.
In his previous Six Red World Championship final appearances, Ding emerged as the champion in 2016 after a hard-fought battle against Stuart Bingham, while he fell short against Kyren Wilson in the 2018 title match.
Ford, who defeated John Higgins 6-5 to progress to the semi-finals, found himself on the defensive as Ding charged out to a 4-1 lead with a break of 63. Ford staged a comeback, winning the sixth and seventh frames to narrow the gap to one frame, and then levelling the scoreline with a stunning break of 74 in the eighth.
Despite Ford’s impressive performance, it was Ding who regained his composure and sealed the victory by winning three consecutive frames, including breaks of 70 and 64.
Speaking about the upcoming final, Ding acknowledged that it will be a fun match-up between China and Thailand. Ding expressed excitement about the match, despite Thepchaiya’s home advantage, and acknowledged that winning matches consistently is essential for success in tournaments.
