Ding reaches third round at snooker UK Championships

LONDON - China's top snooker player Ding Junhui surpassed Michael Georgiou 6-2 at Sunday's UK Championships to set up a clash with Ali Carter in the third round.

Ding, 32, opened the game with one frame down but then won five frames in a row to make a 5-1 lead. The world number 16 failed to finish the match in the seventh frame but wrapped up the win in the eighth frame with a top break of 100.

As a two-time champion of the prestigious event, Ding will fight for a last 16 berth against Carter, who beat Robert Milkins 6-2 on Sunday.

Ding is struggling to find his form this season as he suffered first round loss at last month's Northern Ireland Open. At English Open in October, he also failed to reach the second round.

World number one Judd Trump breezed past China's Mei Xiwen 6-1. World number two and defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan had reached the third round one day earlier as he ousted Chinese player Tian Pengfei 6-0 on Saturday.

Riga Masters champion Yan Bingtao defeated Stuart Carrington 6-2 and will meet Jack Lisowski in the third round.

Ranked 20th in the world, the 19-year-old Yan is the second highest-ranked Chinese player.