Diligent Ding is wary of York upset as part-timer Parsons seizes chance

The event cues off in York today with a new format which throws up the potential for several high-profile early exits.

Qualifying rounds have been scrapped meaning the game’s elite, like Ding, defending UK champion Mark Selby and world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, will all face tricky games against lower-ranked opponents in an opening round draw of 128 players.

The expanded field has seen organisers at the York Barbican – which this next fortnight plays host to snooker’s second largest event after the World Championship – extend the tournament by three days to fit in all the extra matches.

Sheffield-based Ding is looking for a fourth successive world ranking title – only Stephen Hendry in the Nineties has achieved such a feat, winning five back-to-back – but standing in his way first up is Middlesbrough amateur Antony Parsons.

Ding, 26, is in top form after winning the sport’s last three ranking titles around the world at the Shanghai Masters, Indian Open and International Championship in China.

The Chinese potter is eager to avoid a shock first-round exit at the hands of 1,000-1 outsider Parsons when he returns to York this week.

“The rules are always changing,” Ding told the Yorkshire Post. “For me, I will just enjoy the game, go to win and not miss too many balls.

“Whoever you play, the best player in the world or someone who has come through the amateurs, you have to play well.

“If you are not playing well you can lose to anybody.”

York has special memories for Ding; he won the UK title there in 2005 as a raw 18-year-old, beating Steve Davis 10-6 to confirm his long-touted potential.

Ding also picked up the UK title in 2009, so 2013 could be his year if he maintains the four-year cycle.

Not that the world No 3 is putting himself under any extra pressure to maintain his current winning streak.

“I am looking forward to the UK finals, I am confident and have been practising well,” he said. “I just keep working hard.

“I am happy. There’s not that much pressure, as I showed at the Champion of Champions event in Coventry. I will just keep playing my way and enjoy the game.

“There’s no pressure. I’ll just be myself and try to do well.

“Confidence is good at the moment, but I still have little bits to sort out.

“In matches there have been some mistakes. I need to improve my game to make me stronger.

“I have good memories of York. I like York, it’s a nice city. I won the UK title for the first time in York.

“The people are very good there, and I have friends up there.

“This week is all about training, to prepare my performance ready for the UK finals.

“Also to get a little bit of rest, as tournaments have been happening all the time; it’s been busy.

“You need to take time to rest and come back focused on the next tournament.

“It’s very important to rest, otherwise you are already tired for the next event.

“When you’re tired you make more mistakes, and lower your chances of winning.”

Hoping to capitalise on any mistakes by Ding is Middlesbrough warehouse manager Parsons, who has been juggling practice with his full-time job.

“It’s a dream come true to play at a venue like the Barbican,” said the 35-year-old.

“I still can’t believe I qualified and to get the chance to play against a player like Ding is unbelievable.

“I’ve got a tough draw and I have to go out and enjoy it and not worry about what Ding does. Touch wood, with a good run of the balls, anything could happen.

“I practise as much as I can on the table in my mam and dad’s house after work. I have a little lad of 19 months who takes up a lot of my time.

“Six weeks ago, my form was terrible, but I have put a lot of work in these last six weeks and the hard yards seem to be paying off – I won the Snookerbacker Classic in Derby on Sunday.”

Ding was beaten in the Champion of Champions by O’Sullivan, and the Rocket is sure to be a contender in York having pocketed a £100,000 winner’s cheque after his 10-8 win over Stuart Bingham on Sunday night.

O’Sullivan also accounted for world No 1 Robertson leading up to his final success.

“Stuart has had a great tournament and another good season and I am just pleased to have got the victory, that is all you can hope for,” said O’Sullivan.

“Whether you play well or not, sometimes you just have to grind out a result and that is what I managed to do.

“It was ebb and flow all the way. At one stage I didn’t think I was going to win, but I managed to hold it together in the end.”

Selby won the UK title 12 months ago, beating former world champion Shaun Murphy 10-6, and has career earnings which total nearly £2m.

But the Leicester potter accepts the new format at York can only make his job of defending his crown this next fortnight even tougher.

“It makes it just that bit harder, but obviously I’ll be trying my best to defend it,” he said.

“I remember it really well from last year and I suppose I always will with this being the second biggest date in the calendar.

“There are a lot of great players around playing fantastic snooker. Ronnie, Ding and Neil Robertson look like the ones to beat in York,” he said.

“Some of the others may be struggling but the top players always seem to raise their game for the big tournaments.”

To fit in with the new format, sponsors williamhill.com will donate £128 for every century break scored at York to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, in South Yorkshire.

Key first round Barbican games

Tomorrow: D Gilbert (Eng) v Li Hang (Chn), J Burnett (Sco) v S Bedford (Eng), J Lisowski (Eng) v M Leslie (Sco), Liang Wenbo (Chn) v E Slessor (Eng), Yu De Lu (Chn) v D Grace (Eng), A McManus (Sco) v J Walker (Eng).

Thursday: S Murphy (Eng) v L Spick (Eng), J White (Eng) v M Wasley (Eng), Cao Yupeng (Chn) v Zhang Anda (Chn), G Greene (NI) v P Davison (Eng), J Trump (Eng) v G Green (Eng), M Allen (NI) v J Jones (Wal), A Duffy (Eng) v B Pinches (Eng), P Lines (Eng) v S Baird (Eng), Liu Chuang (Chn) v T Drago (Mal).

Friday: Marco Fu (HK) v M Travis (Eng), Tian Pengfei (Chn) v Pankaj Advani (Ind), J Higgins (Sco) v A Borg (Mal), S Maguire (Eng) v S Lam (Eng), Aditya Mehta (Ind) v R Williams (Eng).

Saturday: R O’Sullivan (Eng) v R Clark (Sco), Ding Junhui (Chn) v A Parson (Eng), M Selby (Eng) v S Castle (Eng), N Robertson (Aus) v D Mitchell (Eng).