World Snooker Championship: Jack Lisowski holds nerve in instant classic to oust Ding Junhui in decider

ByRob Hemingway

Published 24/04/2024 at 12:50 GMT

The first-round meeting between Ding Junhui and Jack Lisowski fully lived up to its billing, with the pair going toe-to-toe when they resumed on Wednesday. Lisowski had looked well set when forging into a 9-7 lead and going well, but his Chinese opponent roared back to level at 9-9. However, 'Jackpot' had the last word as two stunning long reds in the last helped get him over the line.

Jack Lisowski produced a nerveless final-frame showing to beat Ding Junhui 10-9 in a classic Crucible clash.

The encounter, which resumed from Tuesday at Lisowski 5-4 ahead, saw both players seemingly nervy early on, missing a number of presentable starters in the opening frame of the morning.

But Ding finally got amongst the balls, and he started to look fluent as he approached frame ball.

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“For the purist, Ding just presses all the right buttons,” purred Phil Yates on Eurosport commentary.

Though he broke down on 74, Lisowski couldn’t capitalise and Ding took it to level things up at 5-5.

Jackpot sought to respond, and he thundered home a long red which set him on his way to an early contribution of 29 in the next.

He got in again shortly afterwards and secured the frame as he took back the lead at 6-5, but it was commotion on the other table that was livening the arena as Kyren Wilson began compiling a chance at a 147.

11 reds and 11 blacks were sunk, but the twelfth red eluded him as a chance to make maximums in consecutive years at the Crucible slipped away.

Back to Lisowski v Ding, and there was “embarrassment” – as Yates on commentary said - when all of a sudden the lighting went off on the wrong table, leading to cheers in the crowd.

Once the light returned – and the dividing wall came up – it was Lisowski who appeared the more comfortable on the bigger stage, putting together a neat 63 to put himself into a two-frame lead at 7-5.

But as the last frame before the mid-session interval arrived, it was Ding who crucially nicked one back courtesy of an 84 run that included some lovely touches.

In an increasingly engrossing encounter, the pair shared the next two frames to leave things poised at 8-7 to Lisowski.

Ding was first to get a look at frame 16, but when his attempted cannon into the bunch failed, he went in off on his subsequent safety attempt and Lisowski cashed in.

“I’ve rarely seen Lisowski look as comfortable at the Crucible,” said Yates as Jackpot put together a fine 72 to go one from victory.

But Ding - due to a Lisowski mistake on a blue after playing a right-handed red - got himself well ahead in the next, and edged over the line to reduce his deficit to one.

Would it go to a decider?

It certainly began to look that way as Ding edged the safety battle in the ensuing frame, jumping on another error from Jackpot to launch into a brilliant century to leave things all set up at 9-9.

"What a match this has been," whispered Joe Johnson on commentary, as the pair sat quietly in their chairs ahead of the denouement.

And what a start it was from Lisowski, who sunk a terrific long red to get himself a chance straightaway, and a 38-point lead.

After breaking down, he rifled in another long-ranger and held his nerve to secure a richly-deserved win.

Stuart Bingham awaits Lisowski in the last 16, but for the fourth year in a row, it was a first-round exit for Ding.

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Wilson led Dale 8-1 overnight in their first-round meeting, and it didn’t take long to locate the two frames needed for victory.

'What a shame!' - Wilson misses out on 147 but wins seals emphatic win over Dale

His 147 attempt in the final frame threatened to light up the Crucible, and though it wasn’t to be, he could nonetheless be pleased with the manner of his one-sided triumph as he marched into the next round.

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