Chinese snooker star Ding Junhui left Wembley Arena full of disappointment, his eyes brimming with tears, after crashing out to Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan 10-3 in the finals of the Snooker British Masters on January 21.

The Chinese ace, ranked fifth in the world, did, however, stun the audience with his electrifying performance of scoring a maximum 147 break in the quarterfinals, marking only the second time this has been achieved in Masters history in 23 years.

"Despite his defeat in the final of the Masters, his exploits have dominated the sports pages back home and the huge public interest moved Western media to provide full coverage of the final tournament," said Reuters, confirming Ding's rising status in the sport.

Being compared to O'Sullivan brings defiance from Ding, who clearly wants to be his own man. "I appreciate his skills, but I am not thinking of becoming another O'Sullivan," the low-key cue artist commented about his idol before the duel. O'Sullivan himself proclaimed Ding a future world champion after the competition.

Lack of game experience and the whistles and applause for his illustrious opponent clearly distracted Ding in the title showdown, breaking his normally smooth rhythm.

"He just needs a bit more experience to go to the next level. Once he tightens up, he's going to be an even tougher opponent," said Ken Doherty, the Irish world No.2 ranked player.

The 19-year-old Ding, who first picked up a cue at the age of eight, began his professional career in 2003, and first entered the world rankings by beating seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry 9-5 at the 2005 China Open.

Ding's 2005 success also "salvaged" China's declining snooker and billiards industry, according to Gan Lianfang, Vice Chairman of Chinese Snooker and Billiards Association.

"If he's going to keep playing like that, he'll be among the top four players for the next 10 to 15 years," said Hendry after losing to Ding in the British Masters semifinals.

"For me, it's not a dream that comes true, as I never dreamed I could do that when I began to play snooker. I am a doer instead of a thinker. What I should do is to improve my skills."

Ding Junhui

"Ding Junhui is now a national icon and rated in recognition only behind NBA player Yao Ming and world hurdle record holder Liu Xiang."

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