Asian challenge wiped out

China’s defending champion Ding Junhui lost his UK Championship snooker crown on Tuesday as he slipped to a 9-8 defeat by Northern Irish cuesman Mark Allen in their second round match. Indeed a dream all-Asian quarter-final was completely dashed as...

China’s defending champion Ding Junhui lost his UK Championship snooker crown on Tuesday as he slipped to a 9-8 defeat by Northern Irish cuesman Mark Allen in their second round match.

Indeed a dream all-Asian quarter-final was completely dashed as Hong Kong’s recently crowned Asian Games champion Marco Fu put up little resistance in a 9-2 defeat by Englishman Stuart Bingham.

Ding produced a rousing fightback having trailed 6-2 overnight and the two-time Asian Games champion really rattled Allen as they went to the final frame locked at 8-8.

However, Allen denied Ding what would have been a remarkable comeback win.

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