Ding takes cues from home crowd

After nearly five years without a title, China's Ding Junhui triumphed in front of a raucous home crowd at the World Snooker Tour International Championship in Nanjing, the capital of East China's Jiangsu province, on Sunday.

Ding defeated England's Chris Wakelin 10-7, claiming his first major title since 2019, when he secured his third UK Championship. The win marked a dramatic turnaround for Ding, who has lost the last three finals he has played. It's also the 15th ranking title of his career.

At the post-match award ceremony, Ding was joined by his father, wife and two young daughters, who shared his big moment.

"I didn't know my family would be at the trophy presentation — it was great to see them," Ding said. "My daughters have never seen me win a title in person. When I won the UK Championship, my eldest daughter was still in bed."

Ding delivered a series of impressive performances throughout the tournament, defeating world No 2 Kyren Wilson in the quarterfinals and overcoming fellow countryman Xu Si in the semifinals.

This marked Ding's 24th career ranking event final. In their previous two encounters, Ding and his opponent Wakelin had each won a game apiece, the most recent being Ding's 3-5 loss to Wakelin in the round of 16 at the Wuhan Open in May.

In the final on Sunday, however, the 37-year-old Ding rallied from a 4-1 deficit, winning six consecutive frames to take a 7-4 lead.

He then held off a determined fightback from Wakelin to secure a 10-7 victory.

"He is very well-rounded and extremely dangerous," Ding said of Wakelin after the match. He pinpointed winning the eighth and ninth frames as the crucial turning point that set the foundation for his eventual triumph.