Having claimed his second UK Championship, Ding Junhui says he is a better player than when he first lifted the trophy four years ago.
Chinese star delighted after "crazy week" ends with second UK title
Having claimed his second UK Championship title, Ding Junhui says he is a better player than when he first lifted the trophy four years ago.
The Chinese star beat John Higgins 10-8 in the final at the Telford International Centre late on Sunday night at the end of what he said had been a "crazy week".
Ding's progress to the title saw him beat four of the top five world-ranked players in Stephen Maguire (number two), Shaun Murphy (three), Higgins (four) and Ali Carter (five).
The 22-year-old said: "This has to be my best tournament victory ever. It has been a crazy week but I've beaten four of the top five players. It has been brilliant.
"I concentrated more than in the past. Sometimes I was guilty of bad shot selection but I kept my mind clear and told myself not to get angry.
"I am a better player than in 2005. I've learnt a lot from all the tournaments I've played in and reaped the benefits of the experiences."
Ding said his next goal was an improved showing at the World Championship, an event in which he has never progressed beyond the second round.
He insisted: "I try to do well every year at Sheffield.
"It is just that everyone seems to just play better me in that tournament. But this win will give me confidence."
The defeated Higgins was left to rue missed opportunities in the closing frames, including a crucial final brown in the 15th when the match was locked at seven frames apiece.
The World Champion said: "That miss was unforgivable and I don't think I will sleep tonight thinking about it.
"I missed three or four balls in the last three or four (frames) which should never have happened but full credit to Ding.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before he would recapture the form he showed when he first burst onto the scene."
Comeback
Ding's victory, his fourth in a ranking event, sees him overtake Thailand's James Wattana and become the most successful Asian player in snooker history.
He has also followed in the footsteps of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Doug Mountjoy, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Higgins in claiming the UK title for the second time.
The win also marks something of a comeback for a player who took time to recover from the 10-3 thrashing he was handed by O'Sullivan in the 2007 Masters final.
Ding has admitted it took him a long time to recover from that result and he appeared in danger of slipping out of the top 16 in the world rankings 12 months ago.
However, he now stands at number six in the provisional rankings for the 2010-2011 season.
