Why Ding Junhui will have to qualify for World Snooker Championship a decade after reaching final as Zhao Xintong confronts 'Crucible Curse'

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Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong, China's two biggest snooker icons, will face vastly different challenges at this year's World Championship. While Zhao prepares to become the latest man to confront the infamous 'Crucible Curse' in Sheffield, Ding is set for a back-to-the-future test with his top-16 seeding for the sport's main event in jeopardy after a 5-2 defeat to Marco Fu in World Open qualifying.

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Ding Junhui reached the final of the World Championship a decade ago, but came up narrowly short in his quest to become China's first Crucible winner.

After negotiating three qualifying rounds at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, Ding defeated Martin Gould (10-8), Judd Trump (13-10), Mark Williams (13-3) and Alan McManus (17-11) on the main stage before losing to Mark Selby (18-14) in the 2016 final.

It is a route he will probably have to revisit in 2026 after a 5-2 defeat to Marco Fu, who enjoyed breaks of 86, 91 and 116, in the second round of World Open qualifiers in Barnsley on Thursday, left his Crucible seeding in serious peril.

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The world No. 13 has failed to qualify for next week's Players Championship and Tour Championship and has not entered the Welsh Open later this month, which means he cannot add any ranking points before the World Championship.

Ding is seeded 16th for the Crucible, but is only 24,350 points clear of Stuart Bingham in 17th spot with the 2015 Crucible champion booking his trip to the World Open in Yushan with a 5-0 whitewash of Ng On Yee.

With Jak Jones, Jack Lisowski and Elliott Slessor less than 84,000 points adrift with three counting events left, Ding faces a return to the qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

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It is a Back to the Future challenge he would rather not confront, in a qualifying minefield loaded with serious talent which could yet include Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire, Gary Wilson, Zhou Yuelong, Zhang Anda and Fu.

At least the three-time UK champion can take inspiration from fellow Chinese snooker icon Zhao Xintong, who won nine matches on his way to becoming his nation's maiden world champion last year.

In doing so, Zhao joined Alex Higgins (1972), Terry Griffiths (1979) and Shaun Murphy (2005) as the only qualifiers to carry off the sport’s biggest prize in the modern era.

The Crucible top seed will face no similar hurdles this season after winning the World Grand Prix last weekend with a 10-6 victory over Zhang in Hong Kong.

But Zhao will become the latest figure to try to end the long-standing 'Crucible Curse' which has seen no first-time winner successfully defend the trophy ahead of the 50th year of the tournament being staged in Sheffield.

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Meanwhile, Mark Selby continued his winning form after lifting the Championship League for a third straight year, with a 3-1 victory over Wu Yize in his home city of Leicester on Wednesday.

The four-time world champion defeated Haydon Pinhey 5-4 to book his trip to Yushan, while Wu rolled in 131 in a 5-2 win over Liam Pullen.

The World Open takes place between March 16-22, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, with John Higgins defending the title after his 10-6 victory over O'Connor in last year's final.

Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the World Open, live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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