Player Profile - Ding Junhui
DOB: 01 Apr 1987
Lives: Jiangsu Province near Shanghai
Provisional Ranking: 10th (Main Tour) Ranking Points this Season
Last 5 Seasons: 9-27-62-76-UR
Turned Pro: 2003
Ranking Tournament Victories: Three – China Open 2005, UK Championship 2005, Northern Ireland Trophy 2006
Last Seasons Prize Money: £121,375
Career Prize Money: (up to start of 2008/09 season): £500,725
Highest Tournament Break: 147 – SAGA Insurance Masters 2007

Steady but unspectacular would be a fair summary of Ding Junhui’s 2007/08 season. He reached the last 16 of every ranking event other than the Royal London Watches Grand Prix, but went on to the quarter-finals in only one tournament – the Maplin UK Championship.
In Telford, the Chinese whiz-kid knocked out Adrian Gunnell and Nigel Bond, then had a cracking battle against Shaun Murphy in the last eight, which Ding lost 9-7.
There was a positive end to the season for Ding as he won a match in the televised stages of the 888.com World Snooker Championship for the first time. The random draw pitted him against fellow Asian star Marco Fu at the Crucible. Ding was hauled back from 5-1 up to 7-6 down, but eventually prevailed 10-9.
"Marco is a very good player so this is a great result for me. I’m pleased with how I handled the pressure because I played some bad shots but I kept going,” said Ding.
The previous season had seen a sensational start from Ding as he became the youngest player ever to win three ranking titles, and the only one other than John Higgins to do so before his 20th birthday.
He achieved that feat at the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast, beating Paul Davies, Anthony Hamilton, John Higgins, Ken Doherty and Stephen Lee to reach the final then coming from 3-1 down to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-6.
"I’m very happy tonight and pleased to equal John Higgins’ record," he said. "I want to get better in every match that I play."
Ding has become one of China’s most famous sportsmen; he has been known to draw viewing figures on CCTV5 in excess of 100million.
His first ranking title came at the 2005 China Open when he delighted his fans in Beijing by coming from 4-1 down to beat Hendry 9-5 in the final.
His second came later that year at the UK Championship – his first major title on British soil and one which demonstrated to BBC Sport viewers the extent of his talent.
He conceded just 17 frames (winning 45) on his way to the final at the Barbican Centre in York. It was exuberant youth against experience and wisdom at the tournament’s conclusion and he comfortably got the better of Steve Davis, 30 years his senior, 10-6.
In 2006 he came back from the Asian Games in Qatar, clutching a haul of three gold medals for the individual, doubles and team disciplines.
Ding won the World under-21 Championship at the age of 15, beating David John 11-9 in the final in Latvia.
In the same year, he won the Asian junior and senior titles, won a gold medal in the Asian Games and reached the semi-finals of the World Amateur Championship.
During the season, he lives in Sheffield where he practises the World Snooker Academy.
Many of Ding’s fellow pros have been full of praise for him, including Ronnie O’Sullivan who said: "If he carries on improving and gets a few more bits to his game he will be a multiple World Champion. Tennis has Federer, golf has Tiger Woods, Ding could do the same to snooker."
Ding’s favourite hobbies away from snooker are swimming and watching Jackie Chan movies. He also enjoys football -he supports Liverpool and enjoyed a backstage tour of Anfield in April 2007.

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