Ding Junhui cruises past Mark Allen on 2023 Tour Championship debut to reach semi-finals

Ding Junhui comprehensively beat an underwhelming Mark Allen 10-5 at the Bonus Arena in Hull to reach the Tour Championship semi-finals.

In the first session, top seed Allen had done well to keep the deficit to just two frames, with two-half centuries scored.

Ding meanwhile was much more fluent, with a century break of 116 in the third frame, and five more half-centuries, including a 92 with no reply in the seventh.

Allen was the favourite going into the match-up based on his bright start to the season with wins in the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship and World Grand Prix, as well as making the final of the British Open.

Ding has been more inconsistent, and apart from losing to Allen in the final of the UK Championship his best performance was to win the Six-red World Championship earlier in the year.

Ding led 5-3 after the opening session and another fluent big break of 91 after the interval, started with a smart red, made it a three-frame advantage in the first-to-10 match.

In the next frame at 46-37 in Ding’s favour there was a long stretch of safety play – with one moment requiring two minutes of consideration from the Chinese player as he failed to escape a snooker without a foul – which saw Ding struggle from a second position, giving away a number of fouls until Allen was able to restart 74-46 up with a free ball, only to miss an easy black.

Ding then manoeuvred the ball brilliantly around the table, including a great yellow to bring the pink back into play while moving back up to where he wanted to be for the next shot, and claimed the frame for himself.

Ding then moved up 8-3 when Allen failed to make the most of a decent break, going down 78-52.

A break of 65 for Allen reduced the lead but Ding remained just two frames from going through to the next round, before taking the next to leave him on the brink.

Allen pulled one back but needed an unlikely five more consecutive frames, and Ding cleaned up with a 95 to claim victory.

He will go on to play the winner of Ali Carter vs. Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals on Friday.

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