Ding Junhui

Ding Junhui (Chinese: 丁俊晖; born 1 April 1987) is a Chinese professional snooker player who has been considered the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport. He began playing snooker at age 9, and rose to international prominence in 2002 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championship, the Asian Championship, and becoming the youngest winner of the IBSF World Under-21 Championship at age 15. In 2016, Ding won the Six-red World Championship. Ding turned professional in 2003, at the age of 16. He achieved his first major professional successes in 2005 when he won the China Open and subsequently the UK Championship, becoming the first player from outside the British Isles to take the title. After his win at the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy, Ding became the second player after John Higgins to win three ranking titles before their 20th birthday. Ding is the 2016 Six-red World Champion, and has won a total of 13 major ranking titles. In the 2013/2014 season, Ding equalled Stephen Hendry's record of winning five ranking titles in a single season. He became the first Asian player to reach the final of the World Championship, in 2016. Known as a prolific break-builder, Ding has compiled more than 500 century breaks in his career including six maximum breaks in professional play. He remains the only Asian player to be ranked world number one, a feat he first achieved in 2014 to become the 11th player to reach the top spot. Away from snooker, Ding enrolled at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2006 to study Business Administration and Management. He is a resident of England during the snooker season and practises at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.