On December 11, 2023, the Scottish Open entered an exciting stage, and Ding Junhui, the first Chinese g-to-G, got off to a good start in a match against David Grace, who is ranked 57th.
This match became a perfect display of Ding Junhui's recent form, and also injected new impetus into his ** career.
Ding Junhui has always been the pride of China's ** gram, and his world ranking rose to 11th after the single-game time limit, winning more attention for China's ** gram. The Scottish Open is the final ranking tournament of the season, with a prize fund of £80,000. And Ding Junhui participated with the aura of the runner-up of the British Championships, winning a valuable seat for the Masters.
He was joined by Zhang Anda, who had knocked out Andy Hicks with a score of 4-2 earlier in the game, bringing good news to the Chinese team. The performance of the two Chinese players has attracted the keen attention of fans, and the rise of China's gram has become a bright spot in the world.
Opponent David Grace is ranked lower, but he has also reached the semi-finals in his career. However, overall, his strength is relatively mediocre and his form is relatively mediocre. This season, Grace is facing a difficult situation of relegation, which makes outside fans generally optimistic that Ding Junhui can win easily.
Ding Junhui has the upper hand in past encounters with Grace, and the two have played each other three times in their careers, with Ding Junhui holding a 2-1 advantage. The most recent meeting was at the English Open, where Ding Junhui defeated Grace 4-1, showing a superior level.
The game adopts a best-of-7 system, which is often prone to upsets and becomes an occasion to test the player's on-the-spot performance. In the first game, both players failed to find their touch, interrupting the attack several times, and Grace's accuracy problems also prevented him from completing a one-shot victory. On the contrary, Ding Junhui took the lead with a score of 63-17, creating huge pressure for his opponent with his excellent defense.
In the second game, Ding Junhui scored 42 points in a single stroke, but he moved improperly and turned to defense. Grace failed to seize the opportunity, while Ding Junhui cleared the stage with a single stroke of 88 points to win another game. In the third game, Grace only scored 15 points to interrupt the attack, while Ding Junhui started through the red ball in the bottom pocket on the left side, scored 55 points in a single stroke, won the game 59-15, and took the lead in getting the match point.
In the fourth game, Grace showed more patience and did not choose to fight for the long table, but the quality of the defense was not high. Ding Junhui seized the opportunity and finished the game twice, and finally swept David Grace 4-0. From the British Championships to the Scottish Open, Ding Junhui has basically continued his good momentum, and his overall performance is eye-catching.
The victory not only allowed Ding Junhui to achieve an impressive result at the Scottish Open, but also raised his world rankings even further, and more importantly, this match showed fans his stable mentality and excellent skills. The runner-up finish at the British Championship allowed him to qualify for the Masters and lay a solid foundation for future competitions.
Overall, Ding Junhui's performance was encouraging, and he brought endless pride to Chinese fans as a representative of China's best gram. In future games, fans expect him to continue this performance and win more honors for China's best grams. The Scottish Open became a memorable milestone in his career and laid a solid foundation for him to show his style again on the Croatian stage. Come on, Ding Junhui!