China’s Ding Junhui’s hopes of becoming the first snooker player from his country to be crowned world champion hung by a thread on Tuesday as he ended the day trailing Judd Trump 12-4 in their best of 25 frame quarter-final.
Five-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan also had ground to make up, but the unpredictable Englishman was only 5-3 behind compatriot Stuart Bingham after their one session — with their game due to resume on Wednesday.
Ding will also play on Wednesday but the manner in which Trump, who beat Hong Kong’s Marco Fu in the previous round, outclassed him in the first two sessions of play suggest the chances of a remarkable comeback are a longshot.
Trump, who beat Ding in the 2011 semi-finals but lost in the final to John Higgins, rattled in three century breaks in the second session to stamp his authority on the clash.
O’Sullivan, whose eccentric behaviour has been in evidence during the championships playing for a while without his shoes on in his first round game, has other problems aside from being behind in his match.
The sport’s governing body World Snooker are investigating after he broke the rules by placing the chalk on the table during the fifth frame — it should have incurred a seven point penalty but the referee Terry Camilleri didn’t call the foul.
O’Sullivan had opened with a century break and then hit 118 in the fourth frame, before almost coming to grief in frame five.
Bingham recovered to win three successive frames and take control of the match.
Qualifier Anthony McGill, who ended Mark Selby’s title defence in round two, was giving former world champion Shaun Murphy a tough battle and ended the day only 9-7 behind.
Australia’s Neil Robertson led Barry Hawkins 5-3 in another game set to resume on Wednesday.