Tired "China Ding" leaves for first Champions

China's snooker prodigy Ding Junhui left on Monday for his debutant show at the World Snooker Championships in Crucible Theater near London with the company of his broker and best friend.

China's Ding Junhui reacts during the 2007 World Snooker China Open in the first round game against Barry Hawkins March 29 in Beijing. [Xinhua]

The young man, who had just celebrated his 20th birthday last Sunday, yawned as he filled the form before the desk at the airport. "I didn't have enough time for training these days at home and I will concentrate on that once I am in London," said Ding, fresh from three-month overseas competitions and kept busy with a host of engagements at home.

With less than two weeks from his first appearance at the snooker's top level tournament, where he is due to meet "Rockets" Ronnie O'Sullivan, his arch rival cum idol, during the first round, the young man seems not to be well-prepared for the "do-or-die" clash.

"To tell the truth, I have not felt the atmosphere of this top-level tournament," he said at the Beijing Capital International Airport before leaving.

"But I have already had many games with him (O'Sullivan), so I will see him as an ordinary rival," Ding encouraged himself.

Things didn't go well since year beginning for "China Ding", who is tipped as a future world number one by many of his rivals and snooker fans. He suffered a wild onslaught by O'Sullivan at the Masters final in January and then saddled first-round exits at two Opens later.

That, however, was not the end of Ding's low time this year as he was humiliated by a third earliest knockout this year at China Open by wildcard Barry Hawkins 5-3 late in March.

"Clearly, Ding was under pressure," said Hawkins, the person who also sent Ding off at last year's Championships qualification.

Though having not reached the realm of NBA star Yao Ming and hurdles sensation Liu Xiang, Ding has already drawn much attention home and abroad as a regarded future world number one.

Now ranked world number nine, the promising world number one is desperate to get training in an aura of peace rather than being enveloped by media and fans wherever he goes.

The 2007 World Snooker Championships will kick off April 22.