Chris Wakelin availed of the so-called ‘Ding Curse’ on Thursday, beating Barry Hawkins 6-5 to succeed in the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters semi-finals.
Wakelin withstood a spirited battle again from his fellow Englishman to prevail in a deciding body on the Inexperienced Halls in Jeddah.
Victory ensures the 33 year-old a file payday of no less than £100,000, eclipsing the £75,000 cheque he earned for reaching final time period’s Worldwide Championship closing.
Whereas the previous Shoot Out champion will rightly obtain all of the plaudits for getting the job performed on the desk, as he has been doing persistently over the past couple of years, there might need been a weird serving to hand from afar as properly.
That’s as a result of the peculiar ‘Ding Curse’ reared its head but once more in a match on the primary tour.
For the twenty second time in a row, the participant who has overwhelmed Ding Junhui in a event – on this event Hawkins – has been dumped out of the operating within the very subsequent spherical.
The phenomenon was skilled all through the whole lot of final season and, the truth is, dates again to the 2024 Gamers Championship from the marketing campaign earlier than.
The Ding Junhui Curse
2024 Gamers Championship
Spherical 1: Ding Junhui 4-6 John Higgins
Subsequent spherical: John Higgins 4-6 Zhang Anda
2024 World Masters of Snooker
Spherical 2: Ding Junhui 3-4 Ali Carter
Subsequent spherical: Ali Carter 1-4 Luca Brecel
2024 World Open
Last: Ding Junhui 4-10 Judd Trump
Subsequent match (Tour Championship): Judd Trump 4-10 Mark Williams
2024 Tour Championship
Quarter-final: Ding Junhui 8-10 Mark Allen
Subsequent spherical: Mark Allen 5-10 Mark Williams
2024 World Championship
Spherical 1: Ding Junhui 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Subsequent spherical: Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
2024 Shanghai Masters
Quarter-final: Ding Junhui 3-6 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Subsequent spherical: Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-10 Judd Trump
2024 Xi’an Grand Prix
Spherical 1: Ding Junhui 4-5 Alfie Burden
Subsequent spherical: Alfie Burden 4-5 Xu Si
2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
Final 32: Ding Junhui 4-5 Stuart Bingham
Subsequent spherical: Stuart Bingham 2-6 Mark Williams
2024 British Open
Spherical 1: Ding Junhui 3-4 Aaron Hill
Subsequent spherical: Aaron Hill 1-4 Mark Allen
2024 Wuhan Open
Final 16: Ding Junhui 3-5 Chris Wakelin
Subsequent spherical: Chris Wakelin 4-5 Judd Trump
2024 Champion of Champions
Spherical 1: Ding Junhui 0-4 Judd Trump
Subsequent spherical: Judd Trump 4-6 Neil Robertson
2024 UK Championship
Final 16: Ding Junhui 5-6 Shaun Murphy
Subsequent spherical: Shaun Murphy 2-6 Barry Hawkins
2024 Scottish Open
Final 16: Ding Junhui 3-4 Luca Brecel
Subsequent spherical: Luca Brecel 1-5 Xiao Guodong
2024 Snooker Championship
Quarter-final: Ding Junhui 0-4 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Subsequent spherical: Ronnie O’Sullivan 2-4 Mark Allen
2025 Masters
Quarter-final: Ding Junhui 3-6 Judd Trump
Subsequent spherical: Judd Trump 3-6 Kyren Wilson
2025 World Open
Final 16: Ding Junhui 2-5 Shaun Murphy
Subsequent spherical: Shaun Murphy 1-5 Joe O’Connor
2025 World Grand Prix
Final 32: Ding Junhui 3-4 Xu Si
Subsequent spherical: Xu Si 3-4 Hossein Vafaei
2025 Gamers Championship
Final 16: Ding Junhui 2-6 Mark Williams
Subsequent spherical: Mark Williams 3-6 Kyren Wilson
2025 Tour Championship
Semi-final: Ding Junhui 2-10 Mark Selby
Subsequent spherical: Mark Selby 8-10 John Higgins
2025 World Snooker Championship
Spherical 2: Ding Junhui 4-13 Luca Brecel
Subsequent spherical: Luca Brecel 8-13 Judd Trump
2025 Shanghai Masters
Quarter-final: Ding Junhui 1-6 Zhao Xintong
Subsequent spherical: Zhao Xintong 5-10 Kyren Wilson
2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
Final 16: Ding Junhui 5-6 Barry Hawkins
Subsequent spherical: Barry Hawkins 5-6 Chris Wakelin
Wakelin, in fact, gained’t care about any of that as he extends his keep within the profitable rating occasion.
Following his glorious victory over world champion Zhao Xintong on Wednesday, he claimed that “even when I gained this event, folks wouldn’t assume that I’m a high participant.”
That may very well be put to the check within the subsequent couple of days as he chases one of many sport’s greatest prizes.
Standing in Wakelin’s method of a closing berth will probably be Ronnie O’Sullivan, who conjured a memorable comeback to disclaim Kyren Wilson in one other deciding-frame thriller.
The Rocket trailed the latest Shanghai Masters champion 5-3 however reeled of a brace of century breaks to revive parity and duly took the eleventh body to finish the turnaround.
It’s the second time in as many days that he has retrieved a late deficit, and it’s one other sign that O’Sullivan is feeling happier along with his new cue.
“I used to be attempting to stick with him as a result of he’ll all the time be the stronger participant nowadays,” O’Sullivan mentioned afterward.
“That was my intention, to make him work exhausting. I felt okay all evening however I’m nonetheless not taking part in sufficient good pictures consecutively.”
“I throw in some unhealthy ones. I can use my expertise, be affected person, and make it exhausting for my opponent.”
O’Sullivan and Wakelin have confronted off 4 instances up to now with two victories apiece, though all of their matches have been performed beneath brief codecs.
The opposite semi-final within the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters incorporates a considerably comparable theme with one conventional marquee identify up in opposition to a rising drive.
Like Wakelin, Elliot Slessor safeguarded the richest windfall of his profession to this point courtesy of a 6-5 conquer final yr’s runner-up Mark Williams.
It was the fourth match on the trot wherein Slessor survived a deciding body, including to his earlier escapes in opposition to Lan Yuhao, John Higgins, and Stuart Bingham.
Slessor, 31, has reached 4 rating occasion semi-finals up to now however has by no means been capable of transcend this level in a contest.
Hoping to disclaim him on this event will probably be Neil Robertson, who was the one semi-finalist who didn’t want all eleven frames to beat his quarter-final opponent.
That’s to not say that it wasn’t shut, although, with the Australian nearly edging out Ali Carter with a 6-4 scoreline.
Robertson has encountered Slessor thrice up to now, rising because the winner on every event with two of these ending with bagel scorelines.
Each of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters semi-finals happen on Friday with the ultimate scheduled for Saturday within the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Neil Robertson vs Elliot Slessor
Friday, 12pm UTC+1 (BST)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Chris Wakelin
Friday, 6pm UTC+1 (BST)
Featured images credit score: WST
