Liang Wenbo, whose run to the final of the Shanghai Masters last weekend put him above China's trailblazer Ding Junhui in the world rankings, is keen to avoid a rivalry with his compatriot.

Liang rose to 13th in the rankings despite defeat to Ronnie O'Sullivan in last Sunday's final, putting him a place above Ding, the winner of three ranking tournaments before the age of 20.

"Please do not make comparisons between us. We are very good friends and we play our best for China," left-hander Liang, who like Ding is 22, said.

Ding's early success helped spark a surge of interest in the sport in China, which now hosts two of the six ranking tournaments on the professional tour.