ALL ROADS LEAD TO DING

It is only really possible to understand the extent to which Ding Junhui dominates the agenda in China once you have witnessed it for yourself at first hand.

The players all know this, and for the most part tolerate the situation with a raised eyebrow and good humour. After all, it can be similar back home with Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The phenomenon often manifests itself in awkward exchanges in press conferences, particularly when a disappointed player has lost and is therefore less keen to shoot the breeze about Ding then they might be had they won.

Judd Trump was asked earlier in the week what he had made of Ding’s match against Jack Lisowski, when had been playing in his own match at the same time. And all Shaun Murphy’s ambassadorial qualities were tested on Thursday following his defeat to Graeme Dott in the post-match exchanges.

With Dott in the same section as Ding – who played later that evening against Martin Gould – Murphy was asked how Dott would do against Ding in the quarter-finals. “Well, Ding has to win tonight first, doesn’t he?” said the former world champion. “Do you think Martin has no chance against Ding? You’re asking will Ding beat Martin and Graeme Dott? Graeme is a former world champion and Ding is not, so even if he gets through the last-16 match he will have a very, very difficult match on his hands. But he has to win tonight first anyway.”

Photograph by Monique Limbos

FLY ME TO THE MOON

As is usually the case at the Shanghai Masters, the tournament runs over a national holiday in China, the Mid Autumn festival, which sees many Chinese returning home for a family celebration. Much of Shanghai was closed on the Monday, including the subway and more bizarrely the hotel swimming pool. In origin the festival is for lunar watching – and there may have been a fair bit of that for those suffering badly from jetlag on the trip, notably Alan McManus who branded himself ‘Dracula’ after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan for being up all night and sleeping all day. Sticking with the lunar theme and generally the ‘when in Shanghai’ activity of hailing the moon god of immortality ‘moon cakes’ are traditionally bought at often vast expense, containing the widest possible array of fillings within the pastry from sausage meat to lotus seed paste.

SWAIL AND THE MILLIONAIRES

Joe Swail tells a great story while reflecting on his narrow 5-4 first-round defeat to Shaun Murphy at the Shanghai Masters. The Northern Irishman reached two World Championship semi-finals at the Crucible in 2000 and 2001, and shortly afterwards appeared as a guest on the Kelly show, the leading chat show on Ulster Television as it then was hosted by Gerry Kelly. Swail’s fellow guests on the show were a then 11-year-old prodigy Rory McIlroy – who had already been on at least once before, now of course a four-time golf Major winner and Nike brand ambassador – and the Irish band Westlife. Swail said: “It obviously has crossed my mind in recent years that they are all millionaires many times over, while I’m trying my guts out for a couple of grand.” Yes Joe – but are they happy…

Photograph by Monique Limbos

FERGAL PASSES HIS SCHOOL EXAMINATION

FERGAL O’Brien and Martin Gould were pressed into service spreading the gospel of snooker in Shanghai on a visit to Huimin Middle School.

The educational establishment already boasted a magnificent cuesports facility with around eight full-size snooker tables and over a dozen pool tables.

And Ireland’s O’Brien, along with Gould and WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson, quickly began encouraging the youngsters to get involved with some demonstration and coaching sessions featuring many of the 1,200 students aged between 12 and 18.

O’Brien said: “It is fantastic to see the facilities here, brilliant snooker tables and pool tables as well, and to see so many boys and girls of all different ages playing and having a lot of fun is amazing. It was a like a really good snooker club but in a school.

“I played a few of the kids, and they were very good, the standard was high especially considering how young they were so I’m sure there were future champions out there somewhere.

“We can offer a bit of advice, taking your time and not cueing so fast can help as you rush sometimes when you are nervous, but the main thing at this age is just to enjoy it.”

The experience clearly inspired 'running man' O’Brien, regularly seen pounding the streets during the week despite the high humidity. He later chalked up an impressive 5-1 first-round win over Rob Milkins.

Photograph courtesy of World Snooker

TRUMP AND HIGGINS IN NEED OF PR WORK

KEN Doherty aside, Tuesday wasn’t the greatest day for press conferences at the Shanghai Masters. Apart from John Higgins deciding – not for the first time – that after a disappointing defeat he didn’t much fancy honouring his contractual obligations as a professional player, Judd Trump was almost Stephen Hendry-esque with some curt and abrupt responses that lasted a couple of minutes but only because of the sometimes tortuous translation process.

After the 5-2 first-round loss to Dominic Dale Trump refused at first to give his overall views of the match, the bland but traditional first request from the host and interpreter in China. He then blamed the conditions for both his own poor performance and unnamed other top players in the first round without specifying the nature of his gripe.

The inevitable question about whether he had watched home hero Ding Junhui’s match against good friend Jack Lisowski – annoying, especially since he had been on the other table but par for the course in a Chinese press conference – was met with the unlikely “I didn’t know they were playing.” And in the same vein for the final piece de resistance, a mildly provocative but possibly mis-translated enquiry as to whether he had given his all in the match was met with “Stupid question.”

The players all know they occasionally have to field slightly odd questions in the Far East with the translation not helping, and even in the bitter aftermath of a disappointing defeat Trump, who like many observers fancied he would have a run in this event, can do better.

Photograph by Monique Limbos

HOLT AND FU IN BAGGAGE RECLAIM

There were short-lived scares for both Michael Holt and Marco Fu in China in the monthly game of baggage Russian roulette risked by the top players on their global travels.

Nottingham’s Holt, who enjoyed a fine run to the semi-finals at the Shanghai Masters 12 months ago, arrived with his cue but not his luggage, including all his playing attire. Happily for the world No23, the missing bag turned up from Bangkok on the Sunday night, in time for being one of the first matches on table on Monday afternoon against wildcard Yuan Sijun.

And Fu, flying from London, was reunited even quicker with his luggage which arrived just a few short hours later on a flight from Heathrow.