Ding Junhui dazzles on day one of Riyadh Season Snooker Championship

Jonathan Davies in Riyadh Season Snooker Championship 19 December 2024

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Ding reeled off eight frames without reply in Riyadh on Wednesday (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)

Ding Junhui stormed through to the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship quarter-finals following a dominant 4-0 victory over Shaun Murphy.

The Dragon enjoyed a dominant opening day at Boulevard City in Riyadh, where he reeled off eight successive frames without reply across his two matches, setting up a mouth-watering last-eight showdown with defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Ding initially struggled to get into his rhythm against local wildcard Abdulraouf Saigh in the first match of the lucrative event on Wednesday.

However, after winning frames two and three on the colours, he finished with a flourish, as a wonderful 108 clearance got him over the line.

Ding built on that momentum against Murphy, who was a 6-5 winner when the pair met in the UK Championship second round last month.

However, the reigning International Championship winner avenged that defeat in fine fashion, hitting back-to-back centuries of 143 and 122, before sealing his second successive whitewash with 74.

Elsewhere, Zhang Anda went close to compiling the first 167 break in snooker history against Ahmed Aseeri, in a match delayed due to an electrical problem inside the venue.

The delay occurred with Zhang on 72 in the opening frame, and though he picked up from where he left off upon the resumption of play, the Mighty Mouse eventually broke down on 97 after missing a tricky 13th black with the rest.

Nevertheless, further runs of 73 and 134 comfortably saw the former International Championship winner into the second round.

But, he was powerless later in the day against an inspired Luca Brecel, who outscored him by 366 points to 50, with breaks of 62, 66, 100 and 120 on the way to recording his own 4-0 whitewash.

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