Ding Junhui v Zak Surety live stream | World Snooker Championship 2025 preview
Ding is gearing up for his 19th successive Crucible campaign (PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo)
Ding Junhui looks to improve his recent Crucible record when he takes on debutant Zak Surety in the World Championship first round on Monday.
The Dragon remains the only player from Asia to reach the final of snooker’s blue-riband event, losing 18-14 to Mark Selby in the 2016 showpiece.
Ding has reached a further two semi-finals in 2011 and 2017, while this will be his 19th successive appearance at The Crucible.
However, his record in recent years has been poor by his standards. Indeed, he has suffered four consecutive first-round exits, last recording a victory here in 2020.
Nevertheless, he arrives with a trophy under his belt this season, having claimed his first ranking title in just under five years at the International Championship, while also reaching the Tour Championship semi-finals last time out.
His opponent will be world number 73 Surety – the man who compiled a 147 in their only previous meeting at last year’s World Open.
It was that same event that provided the setting last month for what is the Essex cueist’s career highlight so far.
Indeed, having not progressed beyond the last 32 of any ranking event this season, he went all the way to the semi-finals, in which he led John Higgins 5-3 before eventually succumbing 6-5.
Despite that, Surety will not have been overly confident ahead of the World Championship qualifiers, in which he had won just two matches in his six previous appearances.
Yet, after comfortably defeating Antoni Kowalski, the 33-year-old earned notable victories over Jack Lisowski and Ricky Walden to seal a fairy-tale Crucible debut.
Former World champion Luca Brecel or three-time quarter-finalist Ryan Day awaits the winner of this clash in the second round.
The match breaks off at 2.30pm BST on Monday with the opening nine frames, before resuming at the same time the following day with a maximum of 10 at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
How to watch Ding Junhui v Zak Surety live stream
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