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

MURPHY HANKERING AFTER BRAZIL RETURN

SHAUN Murphy admitted after a 5-1 Wuxi win over Rod Lawler that he was getting Brazil withdrawal symptoms fuelled by wall-to-wall TV coverage of the World Cup being staged in the country.

The world No7 has plenty of good memories of his trip to South America for the only professional tournament ever staged by the football-mad nation.

Murphy, now 31, beat Graeme Dott 5-0 in the final to lift the trophy and until earlier this year, when he claimed the Gdynia Open crown, that was the former world champion’s last title - though the success was swiftly followed by another victory in Haikou.

“I think Brazil will win the World Cup – is that what everyone thinks in the room?” said Murphy, adding: “I have been to Brazil and it was fantastic. I want to go back now.

“I won a title there and I wish we still had that snooker tournament on the tour, it was a great country and I really enjoyed being there.

“And snooker is very popular there, a lot of people play although that is not the first thing other people will associate with the country.”

MURPHY SUITED AND BOOTED

Whatever arrangement Shaun Murphy has with his new tailors Owen Scott, it seems to be delivering for all parties. The way these things work it is highly unlikely that the 2005 world champion paid much if anything for the bespoke suit worn in his first-round win over Jamie Cope, a Twenties-style number that drew references to the Great Gatsby. With shops in Huddersfield, Leeds and Savile Row the outfitter has a growing number of celebrity clients and with the help of coverage on the BBC and Murphy’s web site and Twitter page more are likely to follow, with reports they have been inundated with requests for fittings. The BBC’s Jason Mohammad is understood to be just one taken with the designs.