UK Championship recap - Allen seals late-night win over Wu, Lisowski overcomes Carter (2024)

Join us again tomorrow at 12.30pm GMT.

Mark was brilliant in the second half of that match; if he plays like that againt Jack Lisowski next up, we'll be in for a treat. Wu, meanwhile, got a sonning off in the end but showed exactly why he's so highly rated. He's special.

Will Mark finish with a ton?

Mark's not had a great season so far and this might be the best he's played: to win four frames on the spin against as good a player playing as well as Wu is and has? That's very fine work.

This has been a banging match, but I fear this is its end. Mark has no intention of missing.

Mark sends a lovely red across the nap to left-middle and he's grimacing, but to Angles it looks like he's bossing the table; Angles'd be delighted to learn that I agree.

Oh my goodness! Mark annihilates an opener into right corner, destroys the green next, and the way the reds are, this is a chance to win f&m. We'll see how it goes, but he's taken control of this match at its business end.

Wu still rockets a starter into right corner, nut on nowt he can only play safe.

A tactical start to the frame then Mark left in all sorts, reds near right corner that he can't access, so how does he leave everything safe? Two cushions, off the side of the pack, and back to baulk, that's how. Great shot.

Another jazzer of a break and Mark is one away.

Colours off their spots for a round hundred.

Mark's at his best when playing quickerthan he is at the moment, but you can also understand why he's taking his time over some shots, and it feels like he's had to take a few of them. Like Kyren Wilson, I think, Mark's always believed he can beat anyone and be as good as almost everyone, and the a relentlessness about him now. He splits three reds with a gentle blue, and that is going to be one more to him. "You might be good," says Dave Hendon, taking up Mark's internal monologue. "But you're not winning. I am."

A poor shot from Wu leaves a red over the pocket, but it won't be easy to get on a colour. So Mark pots it off the side and now it's a testing pink across the table and to left corner ... and it's there! He's stepping it up now.

We jab about for a bit, then it's long safety to and from baulk. Both players back themselves to make a pot but know their opponent is at it too ... and as I type, Mark muscles in an absolute animal, straight into the leather at the back of right corner. What an effort. Then it's tight in behind the yellow and, with reds spread, it wo't be easy for Wu to get this safe ... but he does.

Wu pokes Mark into an even worse situation which earns him a chance; he can't make much of it.

A tactical start to the frame, Mark fluking a starter but not much more. But have a look! Wu annihilates an oblique cut-back into right corner the tucks in behind the brown; Mark's escape leaves him stuck in between two reds. This match doesn't feel nearly finished. Get in!

Late-night snook. You cannot beat it.

The frame is secured. It's been a serious break, this, delivered to perfection, under pressure.

Mark saves the difficult one till last. He goes at it with the rest ... wobbles it down ... and he's oin the black! One mistake from Wu has cost him the frame ... assuming the colours go down. None are difficult, but you never know...

There's a red not far off the side cushion, but Mark's about the table like there's a dish coming. As angles notes, he'll have to force it to get on to a colour. But in the meantime, he's potting well.

Whaaaaat?! Having done all the hard work, Wu misses a cut-back black, and it'll sting something fierce if Mark punishes him by levelling. It's not a simple steal, but nothing is safe.

He's potting nicely but running out of loose reds. So he opens the pack potting one of them, nicely done, and this is a frame-winning opportunity.

Mark catches the middle knuckle and leaves a pretty simple starter that Wu deposits in left corner. The way he's playing, you expect him to make something decent given a fair few loose reds.

Mark can't bring the pink off the cushion so has to satisfy himself with a 107, his first ton of the competition. He made that look very easy and it wasn't.

Mark keeps potting; Angles thinks the pockets are playing properly today. Shaun Murphy did, though, say it was insanely quick.

Mark's still not playing as quickly as he does at his best, but he's punching balls in, a good sign. This is developing into an epic.

There are loose reds but not that many obvious pots; Mark will have to think his way around this. And he starts well, removing balls that facilitate others. This looks a frame-winning opportunity, and it was earned with exactly the kind of pot he should be taking on.

Left a mid-ranger, Mark has a look ... and absolutely smokes it into right corner. He's probably not been as aggressive as he should've been since the interval, but that one had to be attacked and he did so superbly.

Ooh yeah! Wu creams a narrow-angle starter to right corner with cheerful abandon, but shortly afterwards lands in the cluster, so we're back playing safety. Mark then goes at a red over right corner, tapping it home off the side, but he lands stuck to the black; end of break.

Ali Carter 4-6 Jack Lisowski

Four on the spin for Wu, who is a glorious talent – and already a brilliant player. He's got the lot.

On the other table, Jack Lisowski has beaten Ali Carter; back on ours, Wu clears to the black.

Wu sticks a black into the corner and the next red leaves Mark needing a snooker; down it goes with the rest. Mark has a lot of work to do.

This time it's Wu who wins the safety battle and he knocks in a long one then gets to work. He's a proper all-rounder – remarkably so for 21 – and he does not look like missing.

But he can't force into the corner down the side with the rest, but Wu can't tidy to the yellow bag. Mark then has a think and a look, going hard at one to right corner; it won't drop but doesn't cost him owt.

Left a red in the middle of the table, Wu nails it diagonally to right corner and he'll have to work tomake anything telling. There are a few loose reds but not many pottable reds, so picking a route through the table won't be easy ... but I didn't expect him to miss a pink to middle, which he does. Chance for Mark to score.

Ali Carter 3-5 Jack Lisowski

...down it goes. A terrific frame between two terrific players. Settle in, comrades.

Put in another invidious position, Wu leaves the green, Mark pots it superbly ... and snookers himself full-ball on the brown, pink in between them. He misses, leaving a pot to right corner that requires the rest; Wu strokes in a beauty. This frame has been going almost an hour now, but now it looks like it's over very quickly! Wu takes blue too, and it's pink for the frame...

Er, or not, for i had negelecrted to notice that the green is on the cushion. so it's more safety, the standard of which has been superb, and Mark traps Wu between black and side cushion, green near its spot. He hits second go.

This frame has been going approximately 62 days, and with two reds left, Wu has nailed Mark tight behind brown, tight behind yellow. He escapes first time then Wu goes in-off and can Mark cut one of the reds? It's not far above black cush, but ... yes he can. he can make much of the situation, then Wu somehow leaves the last red over the pocket but with the vornw covering part of it; Mark pots one off t'other, and from here should seal the frame.

Wu goes hard, hits, and gets everything safe. It's nearly 12 minutes since the last pot.

Mark leads the applause for Wu, hits well, then sticks him behind the brown, tight, yellow close by blocking one way, cushions the other, and this is vile! Wu can't find a way to get close, so back he goes.

They take a while resetting the white – Mark isn't sure at first – then he hits nicely, and perhaps it wasn't a snooker after all. But he's certainly in one now, diddled on both remaining reds, which are in different parts of the table.

To keep the run going – and Mark's worked really hard to get this far – he needs the extension and rest. Down it goes, but the next red is difficult, parallel tobut just above the top cushion. The ball stays on the lip and Wu will now stretch his lead - though it won't be easy to win the frame at this visit. And even as I type, he lays a snooker; Mark misses first go.

With all the reds gathered between the black spot and the top cushion, Mark pulls the white straight back up the table. So Wu comes off the side and misses his chosen red twice, second time leaving a chance.

Just as Angles is rhapsodising his ability to compete, Wu misses a pink he really shouldn't. Mark might have expected to come back to the table in this frame because the remaining reds are near or on the top cushion, apart from the one that's on the side. But he'll also have expected to be further behind, so will deem this a win of sorts. He can't, though, do much damage, pulling the white back to the bottom rail.

Another lush pot from Wu, a red slotted much of the width of the table, across the nap and into the middle of middle. He just keeps coming, and it's great to see.

Not tight to the green but seeking a thin contact, Mark foul-misses twice and is warned if he does so again he'll lose the frame. He closes his eyes and vigorously shakes his head, as if to show disagreement, that he's not listening, or both, and everyone laughs, then he plays a beautiful escape, sneaking the white through a narrow corridor and back to baulk.

Wu sinks another red and this time lands Mark behind the green; he misses once, then hits, with everything safe. This is a terrific tussle.

And look at that! Immediately, Wu nails a lovely starter to right corner – he's so good at those sttaight or straightish ones. But not on a colour, he plays safe and not especially well.

Let's hope it's as good; my sense actually is that it'll be better.

Ali Carter 1-3 Jack Lisowski

Wu misses a blue so has to settle for a 117. That was the best mini-sesh I've seen since Lisowski-Selby on Sunday night.

As Wu passes 100, Mark closes eyes in meditative state. He's in a match and he knows it.

Angles is extremely enamoured with how straight and how cleanly Wu strikes the ball. He's a lovely player and will, I'm certain, win triple-crown events. But in the here and now, hel evels the match, making double-sure with a lovely red floated into the middle.

...but he's soon in baulk, so it won't be that significant. It should, however, level what's a really entertaining match.

it's Wu in first in frame four, he quickly breaks pack off black, and already the frame is there for him. A lovely nudge off his next red means he's on the black again, and this is lovely stuff. There's a very significant break out there for him too...

Ali Carter 1-1 Jack Lisowski

Wu clears the balls, and he's in the match. I can't overstate how hard that must've been having not potted for so long, but perhaps when you're that good, it's not that much of a problem. He'll have known, too, that if he'd failed to do the necessary, it would've been hard for him to make a contest of things, never mind win, but he put all that aside to serve a terrific dish.

There are no difficult balls, it's just a matter of sensible shots, and Wu is playing them.

But he gets a shot at one next go too, and this time he sends it right into the heart of the pocket; good shot. This is a chance for an unlikely dish and make no mistake, Wu has the chops to pull it off.

Mark spanks in a starter, red taken from centre to right corner, but the white cannons a stray red and goes into left. Chance for Wu to at least pot a ball and he cues nicely, only for it to wobble in the jaws and bounce away.

And this is where the tactical stuff comes in. Mark runs out of position so doesn't fret with regret; rather it's back to the baulk rail, Wu missing his thin contact and also gooing in-off. Pressure tells.

I feel like I say this every time I watch Mark, but maybe now he's found the balance between his natural attacking game and the tactical side you also need to be successful. He's playing superbly.

Another error from Wu – in fairness there've not been loads, he's just been punished for them – so Mark gets away to left corner. A blue follows, then a red which liberates the black, and though the pack will need breaking, you feel for the youngster.

Ali Carter 0-1 Jack Lisowski

Nope, a mere 82; Wu is still to pot a ball.

A gentle black to the corner means Wu needs two snookers; Mark, though, is ton-hunting.

Mark, of course, won this title the year before last, and he's as good a chance as anyone of doing so again.

We've been going well over half an hour now, and Wu has still to pot a ball; Mark has drained four red-blacks in this run alone. But off a ball to middle he plays for pink, booooo, though looks to have a great chance of securing the frame in one visit.

All the way through this tournament, we've seen players do some good stuff and some bad stuff – more so than usual. The tables weren't playing well to start with, the corner bags especially unreceptive but the cushions also bouncy. So yesterday they were recovered and, after the afternoon dig, Shaun Murphy said it took him six frames to come to terms with the speed of things – something we should expect to affect others too. But it doesn't seem to bother Mark when he guides the white long to snick a red into right corner, the black follows, and he's away.

Ali Carter 0-1 Jack Lisowski

Wu concedes.

Mark steers dead slow to left corner, adds the black which leaves Wu needing a snooker, and misses the next red. So the frame continues, but both players know it's over.

Wu plays what, on the face of things, looks an acceptable safety and Mark even taps the table. But a closer look reveals there's a red that goes along the top cushion so he bags that ... before missing a black he really shouldn't.

Oooh, Mark leaves a red in the jaws of left corner – though he was using the rest, that was unexpected – but covers it with the black. There are 83 points left.

Wu, by the way, is a really good player – he beat Bingham, Carter and Trump en route to the English Open final, which he lost 9-7 to Neil Robertson. And at 21, he's got plenty of time to improve even if, for now, he's sat in his seat watching Mark accumulate.

A blue rockets into left-centre as the white clobbers the pack, and Mark will be thinking about securing the frame at this visit.

Mark's away immediately off Wu's break and he opens the pack off the black; good start from El Pistolero.

Are baized.

My posts setting up this evening seem to have vanished; apologies. But we're ready to get under way...

Join me again at 6.30pm GMT for the evening dig!

An engrossing, intense, thrilling match in which both men produced their best stuff when it got tight, is settled by a gorgeous opener and fine break. Shaun meets Basher Hawkins next, while Ding, who more than played his part, goes home.

Shaun cuts a red to right corner, grimacing his joy as he marches around the table for black. What a final frame he's played!

Time to decide! Does Shaun screw baack off a red to middle to stay on the black, or run through for a pink to middle. Er, I'm not sure – and that's after he's played the shot! I think the idea was pink, but he's not going to take it on, nor the black. With 75 still left, Dom reckons he should knock the latter safe, he instead sends green to the cushion – in the crowd, Peter Ebdon, his coach, warmly applauds the call. Then Ding leaves him one, and this is five to over!

Bazza Hawkins has indeed beaten Dave Golbert 6-5 while, back on our table, Shaun is still potting reds and blacks! No on loves their own brilliance more than this man, so a final-frame 147 will, for absolute certain, be tickling his ego. He'll need to go into the pack again at some point, but he's taking these beautifully.

Ding leaves one to right corner off the break and here's that dilemma for Shaun, immediately! Thing is, he can't turn down one like this even though he's two frames without a pot, because if it goes down, he's in the balls, and if he doesn't it's the only one he can leave. And have a look! He strokes down an absolute prince, addds black, red, black, and will shortly break the pack. He eases home another black, tickling the cluster, does likewise off his next shot, and I'm not going to suggest he could finish with a maxi, but, well, um, er.

A handshake then, for the final time, off we go.

Barry Hawkins 5-5 Dave Gilbert

But Barry, who was almost out 15 minutes ago, is at the table building a lead.

Ding has grown as the match has got tight. Shaun won't want to offer him a chance to get in amongst it when he returns to the auditorium, but will want to attack. How he reconciles those two contraditctory elements may decide the match.

A third ton in a row for the match and a second ton in a row for Ding; he loves this competition almost as much as I love crisps and sweets.

Needing to send one long to the green bag, Ding - who was two behind with three to play against Milkins in round one – hits the middle of the pocket. And sat in his seat, Shaun will be feeling poorly, because he's had a dreadful couple of frames having almost given away the one before that, and will now have to right himself for a decider.

At the start of this break, the reds were open but with various blocking various, but only Ronnie is better than Ding at picking a route through that kind of puzzle, and he's doing so beautifully here. Which is handy, as who among us isn't up for a decider?

Ding goes hard at a starter to left corner and does everything but pot it, then Shaun finds a tremendous safety, pulling white behind yellow. Ding's escape then hits a different red to the one intended; chance for Shaun! But he can't drain along the top rail! How many chances to win can and will he spurn?! Ding gets to work!

Dave misses the green so Barry forces a decider; back in our match, Ding misses two reds and Shaun one, both men feeling it now.

Barry Hawkins 4-5 Dave Gilbert

But Dave is at the table trialing 44-55, colours on their spots or close. This should be the end.

With the finish line in sight, both men are finally at it. A 107 brings Ding to within one.

Yup, he does. This is geting tense.

Methodically, Ding accumulates, and should narrow the gap at this visit.

Ding sinks a decent starter under pressure only to miss to right-middle ... except Shaun then does likewise with an even easier ball. Ding, though, plays a dreadful shot of his own, finshing touching the green, which is up the business end; end of break. Shaun then tries to cut long to left corner getting as close as one can without the ball dropping. Chance for Ding!

Barry Hawkins 4-5 Dave Gilbert

A typically flamboyant clearance of 135, and this match is Murphy's to lose.

The last three reds are on the side rail so a ton looks difficult, but shaun bags the first ... and the second, then secures the ton, his first of the competition, with a blue to middle.

Yup, Shaun makes the frame safe. Ding needs three on the spin.

Shaun will know he's not played all that well today, but at this stage it'll fortify him not undermine him, because he's ahead and looking good to go two up with three to play. As Stuart Bingham showed us last evening, that doesn't mean he'll win, but he's potting nicely.

Shaun misses a thin contact, cediong four, but then Ding can't cut a longun to right corner so Shaun tidies up. I think he's the better player now and he quickly breaks the pack. If he can finish this frame at this visit – and he'll feel he should, with good reason – it'll be a long way back for The Dragon.

Barry Hawkins 4-4 Dave Gilbert

Down goes the blue, and though the pink stays on the lip, Ding concedes.

A poor positional shot off the brown leaves Ding low on the blue, so he's got to go down and up, with power ... and he hits it so hard the colour jumps off the table! What a repreive for Shaun – there was no need for that– who will surely clear!

Shaun foul-misses twice, so he must hit next go; he does, but he leaves the final red on to the yellow; Ding sees it away and what a steal this would be. Not because he's done anything especially good, but because that simple black Shaun missed to secure the frame will be rankling hard. Only the black, a little off the side and not near a pocket, can save him.

Ding misses unexpectedly to the green bag and, in comms, Dom advises that the match has been a lengthy one and focus is probably and understandably fading. The Dragon then misses his red, clumps it from behind, and watches as it jumps out of the jaws of right-middle; this is now that kind off frame. But perhaps not for much longer! Now Shaun misses a cut he shouldn't to the green, so Ding cleans up and sticks him between bottom cushion and brown, the onyl ball on the table he can hit not proximate.

Left a red, Shaun slots home, and this should be 4-3. BUT HAVE A LOOK! He misses a black off its spot, perhaps checked out of a frame he felt was already his, and Ding returns to the table 37 behind with 43 left! That ball goes down and he needs a snooker; instead it's right in the balance.

But one thing for which Shaun doesn't lack is confidence, and he builds a lead before playing to the bottom rail when position expires. And when Ding's response-safety cannons the brown, he's a chance to get under way again, the kind of shot you almost don't want handed to you because if you miss – and he does – you give your opponent an opportunity he didn't earn - which he has. But he can't get position on the black, so we're again back playing safety and this is attritional stuff now.

Both men miss to left corner before Shaun gets away, and he'll want to win the frame at this visit - the reds are there for him. But so is the knowledge that if he misses, Ding is on his shoulder. Pressure!

Ding, of course, has histroy with this competition, having won it as an 18-year-old – nuts, I know - winning it twice more and losing in two finals, last year and the year before. And with so many top players gone already, he - and the rest - will fancy themselves

Seeking a thin contact, Shaun misses once then, when he hits, Ding sinks a starter but lands on nowt.

Barry Hawkins 3-3 Dave Gilbert

Shaun confidently does the necessary, pumping fist; he's yet to make a 40, but he's level.

Ding leaves the yellow, Shaun gobbles it up, and needs to the pink to level us up again – not something that looked likely when Ding was accumulating a few minutes ago.

Oh, but Ding's escape leaves a cut to right corner and Shaun sends it down ... only to overrun and leave himself eithout a colour, so we're back playing safety. The frame remains in the balance.

Repreive for Shaun! Ding misses a black off its spot and I can barely believe what I'm seeing! Just as he looks to be assuming control of the contest, he offers his opponent a bone, and this particular one won't be shy about tucking in. He does cause trouble for himself with a poor positional shot, but a kindly flick off the pink keeps him going for one more shot, aftrr which he nuzzles up the left side of the black, the two remaining reds on its right, towards the cushion. The frame remains in the balance.

How many times can we marvel at Ding's precision in the balls? I've been doing it for two decades now and I'm stll not bored.

And here's something you don't see often! Shaun misses with the rest! So Ding gets going, and if he can nab this frame two, he'll be a strong favourite to progress.

Ding misses long then Shaun clips home into left corner taking a massive risk – he's leaving nuff if he misses. But he doesn't, a beautiful pot and unintended cannon on the black working out well; he's in.

Barry Hawkins 2-2 Dave Gilbert

This is so tight you can't call it, but perghaps Ding's reliability in the balls will prove decisive - as it does here. Shaun hasn't even made a 40 yet.

Yup, Ding makes the frame safe.

Ding pots black in the heart of the poicket when he needed it off the edge so finishes short of his intended next red; the cut-back he attempts is nasty and won't drop. But attempting a thin cut of his own, Shaun overdoes it, Ding pots one off another, and this should be the frame...

...but it won't drop. Which is to say both men have tried for pots that weren't really there, and Ding now has a chance to score.

Shuan sinks a starter only to miss yellow; Ding eases gently to the middle and he's away. But – and we don't say this often – a poor positional shot leaves him with a problem so he tries to hammer red into themiddle off the yellow, an ambitiouds shot that doesn't come off. Chance for Shaun! Who, early doors, refuses a chance to break pack off blue, an uncharacterisitc call, has to do so off the black immediately afterwards, and is that end of break? He's found an apparent plant...

Barry Hawkins 2-2 Dave Gilbert

Ding bans in a red and when he misses the green, Shaun concedes. We'll be back in 15.

Needing five snookers, Shaun keeps playing. He must be less hungry than me.

With Shaun needing a snooker, Ding runs out of position so lays one, white tapped behind green and baulk rail; the escape leaves a starter, down it goes, and we'll be all-square at the interval.

Ding builds, and though he's surprised by some deadening cushion-bounces, he's in pretty decent control.

Shaun strokes home nicely with the rest but can't add any more the, left on the bottom rail, a poor response leaves Ding a simple starter, and from here, he has a really good chance to level us up.

Ding can't drain a cut-back along the side and though Shaun does pot, he lands on the baulk cushion so plays back to it off the green. His safety-game has been on-point so far today.

So far today, Shaun's single-ball potting has been delightful, and he sends down another longun then punishes blue into the green bag. Off the second red, he opens the pack ... then jawses the yellow, undercutting and catching the near jaw. Other hand, he snookers Ding on the pottable reds, so it's off the side on to a ball near left corner ... and he pots it! He's not on a colour, but will be glad to have alleviated a problematic situaton, and we're back playing safety.

Barry Hawkins 1-1 Dave Gilbert

Shaun leads, but tihs is a tight contest.

It's Shaun in next, he gets his revenge on the pink by sticking it in the green bag, then another red secures the frame before the pink is deposited in the middle with a wry grin. Shaun is in front.

Eeesh! Shaun sends pink to the opposite middle pocket, and again, it refuses to drop! But can Ding steal? He sinks the loose red then has a look at the remaining four, all together under the pink spot, misses all of them off the blue, and plays safe.

More reds, more pinksv... until one leaps out of the middle bag! If he'd hit it more softly it would've gone in, but still, that looked destined for the hole. As it goes he'd not have been on his chosen red as he overscrewed too, and when Ding tries to tidy, he misses - by a way. So Shaun gets away again to left corner, catching oplenty of jaw; in comms, Dom reckons yesterday, that stays out. But instead a blue is rocketed to the middle and this is a good chance for the lead.

Oooh yeah! Shaun smokes a glorious starter into right corner, makes his way up the table off the green, and gets to work. The black isn't currently available so he sinks pink to middle and continues so to do.

Barry Hawkins 1-0 Dave Gilbert

We're all-square, and already this is an extremely enjoyable tussle.

Shaun nails the final red, which will be a relief to him. He levels the match, drawing a smile from Peter Ebdon, his coach.

And when he leaves the red on the side rail, white hidden behind the black, Shaun misses with his escape! The lead is 33, the points left on the table 35!

Goodness, Shaun goes in-off the yellow, so there's one of the snookers Ding needs got.

Shaun can't drain a red to the green, so Ding returns to the table needing a snooker, immediately tidying up the missed red and breaking up the last two by mistake – he wanted to come around the angles for the black because now he can't get at it, he needs another snooker.

It's Shaun who sinks the next ball and from here the frame will become his. Both men have started nicely, and we should be set for a match of proper quality.

Shaun will need one of the difficult reds, but he shout;d be able to land on the bottom cushion to slide one in ... if he doesn't miss to left corner first! Nevertheless a lead of 45 with 67 left feels definitive with the table looking like it does.

Shaun cues a beauty, the white traveling most of the length of the table to knuck in a red just off the side rail into the green bag. From here, he should make a significant dent in the frame - at least.

Off the black, Shaun floats up to balk and comes just a little too far, landing on the cushion so unable to get at the ball just off it for which he played. So we're back playing safety, but with various reds still in the open.

All the reds are not above the black spot, various of them in balk and on the cushions. But there are probablyenough loose balls to enable whoever pots first to secure the frame, and when Ding plays too heavily into a pod of three - on that bottom rail – he leaves a starter. Shaun should score here.

Ding has a think, wondering if he can get to a red and cut it to right corner; he cues it beautifully, of course, gets on to the black ... and sticks in the pack. But can he jab one to left-centre? He decides not.

Barry Hawkins 0-0 Dave Gilbert

Fantastic work from Ding, a clearance of 129 laying down the smack and then some.

Juat when it looks like he's run out of position, Ding finds a plant, a nasty red to right corner is another tester but he sinks it nicely, and he's going into the lead.

Apparently effortlessly, Ding accumulates. After finding a way to beat Rob MIlkins in round one, he's begun round two in gorgeous nick.

Shaun slots a nice starter of Ding's break but can't sink his second red to the yellow bag; the ball stays close by so it's quickly sent down and the pack then broken off the green. Ding is where he was born to be, about the black spot with balls available.

Tuuuuune from Dave Gilbert!

And we've plenty to go at today too. This afternoon, we'll be majoring on Shaun Murphy v Ding Junhui with updates from Shaun Murphy v Ding Junhui, then this evening sees Wu Yize v Mark Allen with updates from Jack Lisowski v Ali Carter. Let's do it!

And welcome to the UK Championship 2024 — day five!

13:00

• Barry Hawkins v David Gilbert
• Shaun Murphy v Ding Junhui

19:00

• Jack Lisowski v Ali Carter
• Wu Yize v Mark Allen

13:00

• John Higgins 6-0 He Guoqiang
• Judd Trump 6-3 Neil Robertson

19:00

• Mark Williams 5-6 Stuart Bingham
• Zhang Anda 6-3 Lei Peifan

- - -

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