Battle sees Gunnell out
Shropshire snooker star Adrian Gunnell is out of the China Open after going down 5-3 to teenage sensation Ding Junhui in a closer-than-expected encounter. Shropshire snooker star Adrian Gunnell is out of the China Open after going down 5-3 to teenage sensation Ding Junhui in a closer-than-expected encounter. The 19-year-old home hero raced into a 3-1 lead in Beijing with breaks of 82, 97 and 130 - but found Gunnell a stubborn opponent to shake off. The Telford potter hit back with a century of his own - 106. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
The 19-year-old home hero raced into a 3-1 lead in Beijing with breaks of 82, 97 and 130 - but found Gunnell a stubborn opponent to shake off.
The Telford potter hit back with a century of his own - 106 - to reduce the arrears to one and pile pressure on the Northern Ireland Trophy champion.
Junhui won the next to move within a frame of victory, but Gunnell, 34, took a scrappy seventh to keep the match alive.
Both players had chances in the eighth, with several unforced errors adding to the tension.
But it was Ding who had the final say to set up a match with Londoner Barry Hawkins in the first round.
The Chinese ace will start as hot favourite for that one - but will know he has to improve if he is to repeat his heroics of 2005 when he won the China Open with victory over Stephen Hendry in the final.
By Chris Hudson