In a gripping showdown at the snooker table, Jack Lisowski emerged victorious against Chinese legend Ding Junhui in what has been hailed as one of the standout matches of the tournament so far. Lisowski clinched a narrow 10-9 win over Ding, showcasing remarkable skill and nerve throughout the encounter.

The match between Lisowski and Ding Junhui exhibited a remarkable standard of snooker, with both players delivering impressive performances. Lisowski held a narrow 9-7 lead over Ding as they entered the latter stages of the second session, with each player producing seven breaks of over 50 during the match.

In the 18th frame, Junhui displayed his prowess with a break of 131, the highest of the game, bringing the match to a tense one-frame shootout. Despite his stellar performance, Ding was unable to secure the win, as Lisowski held his nerve in the decider, crafting a solid 84-point frame to seal the victory.

Following his hard-fought triumph, Jack-pot expressed his elation at defeating Junhui, a player he highly regards. Lisowski described the match as one of the best he has been involved in and praised Ding’s exceptional skills on the snooker table.

“That’s probably one of the best games I've been involved in here, and he's just fantastic,” Lisowski remarked. “He's the greatest player I've ever played with in practice, and to beat him finally is a fantastic feeling.”

Image credit: WST

With several top seeds already eliminated from the competition in the first round, including Ding Junhui himself, Lisowski remains focused on his journey ahead. He acknowledges the formidable competition but maintains confidence in his abilities.

“I've got a good chance of going further, but there’s still an incredible standard of players left in the tournament,” Lisowski commented. “I'm playing really good stuff, probably the best I've played so far in my career.”

Yet, Lisowski is positioned in the tougher half of the draw. Despite the unexpected exits of many top-16 players, it doesn't significantly alter the challenges he may face on his potential path to the final.

“I've got a former world champion in the next game [Stuart Bingham], then possibly Ronnie [O’Sullivan] and Judd [Trump. It's just so hard to win tournaments these days and I'm playing well,” he added.