 | | | Ding Junhui celebrates winning the UK Championship |
If 2005 was the year that Ding Junhui exploded onto the international snooker scene, then 2006 could be the year he becomes a legend. Ding fulfilled his potential in a nail-biting confrontation with Steve Davis in the final of the prestigious UK Championship last December. He defeated the six-time world champion by 10 frames to 6 in a thrilling final at the Barbican Centre in York. In defeating Davis he has already secured a place in history as he is the first ever player from outside the British Isles to win the UK Championship. Having won his first prize in competitive snooker at the age of thirteen, Ding is unquestionably a precocious talent. It seems that he has now matured into a world-class player – “It was only a matter of time before he joined the world’s elite”, says Steve Davis. Ding’s talent has been developed by his father, Ding Wenjun who became aware of his son’s remarkable abilities when he was just eight years old. Ding Wenjun explains, “When I was playing with my friends, he was attracted by the colourful balls and would play by himself on another table for a whole day”. Many years of hard work and sacrifice followed as Ding’s father gave up his business and moved to Dongguan in order to find better training facilities for his son. Both father and son lived in cramped conditions, sharing a five-square-metre room adjoining the local snooker club. However, their efforts began to pay off when Ding started to win prizes in Asian tournaments. He turned professional at the age of sixteen and celebrated his eighteenth birthday by winning the China Open in April 2005, thrashing Stephen Hendry by nine frames to five. Despite his international status, Ding prefers to address his English-speaking fans through an interpreter. However, when we asked Ding how he felt about winning the UK title he replied, “I’m feeling very well and very happy and very confident for the next tournament.” | 
