Alan McManus ‘glad’ to be proved wrong about Ding Junhui’s demise – ‘I thought he was done and dusted’

Alan McManus admitted he thought Ding Junhui’s days of competing for major titles were over “18 months ago” ahead of the Chinese player’s first-round match against Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Masters.

Ding hasn’t won a ranking event since the 2019 UK Championship but got to the final at the same event in York last month before losing 10-7 to ‘The Rocket’.

The 36-year-old fell well outside the top 16 after a disappointing run of results last season but has returned to form this campaign to get back among the game’s elite.

He takes on O’Sullivan in the first round at Alexandra Palace, and although McManus described winning as “a huge ask”, the Scotsman said he was “glad” to be wrong about Ding’s demise.

“There’s the $64 million question,” McManus said, when asked what Ding needed to do to beat O’Sullivan. “I mean, he’s obviously got to play something like the form he showed at the back end of the UK Championship and hope Ronnie comes down a peg or two.

“Ronnie is going to start that massive favourite, he owns this place. He’s lost six finals on top of the seven that he’s won and three of those were by a decider.

“It’s a huge ask for Ding, but the good news is that he’s playing well again, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t see it coming.

“A year ago, 18 months ago, I thought Ding was done and dusted as far as competing at the absolute top level. I’m glad to say I was wrong because the way he played in the UK Championship, he could do it.”

If history is anything to go by, Ding doesn’t stand much of a chance against O’Sullivan. The pair have played each other six times at this event and Ding has yet to register a win.

Since lifting the title in 2011, he has also lost in the first round 10 times.

By contrast, O’Sullivan has fallen just three times at the first hurdle since his maiden triumph in 1995.

But Jimmy White, himself a Masters winner in 1984, echoed McManus’ sentiments and predicted the encounter will go down to the wire.

“Through Ding getting to the final of the UK Championship, it was 7-7 and Ronnie produced three brilliant frames to win that tournament,” White added.

“[He’s] playing great stuff again, so it’s going to be a really strong, tight battle and whoever makes the least mistakes will win that match.”