Inside the ‘Ding Junhui curse' that's struck at Crucible again after wreaking havoc SIXTEEN times this season alone
Katherine Walsh, Digital sports reporter
Published: Invalid Date,
FORGET the Crucible Curse, Ding Junhui 's hex puts that to shame.
And its most recent victim Luca Brecel brought the streak up to SIXTEEN matches this season.
2
2
Basically, if a player defeats Ding at an event, they are destined to lose their next match.
This spooky jinx has stalked EVERY opponent Ding has faced this season.
It struck again for Brecel at the World Championships on Wednesday - but the Belgian has already been a part of the sequence this year.
Brecel hammered Ding 13-4 in the second round in Sheffield last week, but succumbed 13-8 Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.
With Ding out of an event, his opponents have suffered defeat in the next round, including Ronnie O'Sullivan, Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy - who have all been through it TWICE over the last year.
The Ding Junhui Curse was first activated at the 2024 Players Championship last February.
Ding, 38, went out in the first round 6-4 to John Higgins, but Higgins lost his next match in the competition to Zhang Anda.
And it extends over periods when Ding loses a final or gives a bye to an opponent after he pulls out of a competition.
Even when Trump defeated Ding in the final of the 2024 World Open, The Ace lost his opening fixture at the next tournament - the Tour Championship.
Selby looked destined to end the run after drubbing Ding 10-2 in the semi-finals of the Tour in Manchester earlier this month.
Scary moment snooker fan collapses live on BBC during World Championship coverage
The Leicester Jester led fellow four-time world champion Higgins 8-5 in the final, only to lose the final five frames in a 10-8 defeat.
Even Ross Muir couldn't break the spell after Ding withdrew from their last-64 meeting at the German Masters in January.
After receiving a walkover, the Scot was dumped out after losing 5-2 to Yuan Sijun in the next round.
Apart from his title run at the International Championship in November, when Ding lifted the trophy with a 10-7 win over Chris Wakelin in Nanjing, every unfortunate rival to defeat the Chinese player has faced an instant demise in the next round.
The Ding Junhui Curse in full:
2024 Players Championship
Round 1: Ding 4-6 John Higgins
Next round - Higgins loses 6-4 to Zhang Anda
2024 World Masters of Snooker
Round 2: Ding 3-4 Ali Carter
Next round - Carter loses 4-1 to Luca Brecel
2024 World Open
Final: Ding 4-10 Judd Trump
Trump loses his next match at the Tour Championship 10-4 to Mark Williams
2024 Tour Championship
Quarter-Final: Ding 8-10 Mark Allen
Next round - Allen loses 10-5 to Mark Williams
2024 World Championship
Round 1: Ding 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Next round - Lisowski loses 13-11 to Stuart Bingham
2024 Shanghai Masters
Quarter-Final: Ding 3-6 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Next round - O'Sullivan loses 10-3 to Judd Trump
2024 Xi'an Grand Prix
Round 1: Ding 4-5 Alfie Burden
Next round - Burden loses 5-4 to Xu Si
2024 Saudi Arabia Masters
Last 32: Ding 4-5 Stuart Bingham
Next round - Bingham loses 6-2 to Mark Williams
English Open (Brentwood) - Ding did not play
2024 British Open
Round 1: Ding 3-4 Aaron Hill
Next round - Hill loses 4-1 to Mark Allen
2024 Wuhan Open
Last 16: Ding 3-5 Chris Wakelin
Next round - Wakelin loses 5-4 to Judd Trump
2024 International Championship - Ding wins the tournament
2024 Champion of Champions
Round 1: Ding 0-4 Judd Trump
Next round - Trump loses 6-4 to Neil Robertson
2024 UK Championship
Last 16: Ding 5-6 Shaun Murphy
Next round - Murphy loses 6-2 to Barry Hawkins
Shoot Out (Swansea): Ding did not play
2024 Scottish Open
Last 16: Ding 3-4 Luca Brecel
Next round - Brecel loses 5-1 to Xiao Guodong
2024 Riyadh Season Championship
Quarter-Final: Ding 0-4 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Next round - O'Sullivan loses 4-2 to Mark Allen
2025 Masters
Quarter-Final: Ding 3-6 Judd Trump
Next round - Trump loses 6-3 to Kyren Wilson
2025 German Masters
Ross Muir had a walkover win over Ding in Round 1
Next round - Muir loses 5-2 to Yuan Sijun
2025 World Open
Last 16: Ding 2-5 Shaun Murphy
Next round - Murphy loses 5-1 to Joe O'Connor
2025 World Grand Prix
Last 32: Ding 3-4 Xu Si
Next round - Xu loses 4-3 to Hossein Vafaei
2025 Players Championship
Last 16: Ding 2-6 Mark Williams
Next round - Williams loses 6-3 to Kyren Wilson
2025 Tour Championship
Semi-final: Ding 2-10 Mark Selby
Next round - Selby loses 10-8 to John Higgins
2025 World Championship
Second round: Ding 4-13 Luca Brecel
Next round - Brecel loses 13-8 to Judd Trump
Robbie Williams was the last person to escape it nearly 14 months ago.
At the 2024 Welsh Open, Williams defeated Ding 4-2 in the last 64 and went on to reach the last 16 where he bowed out to Mark Allen.
This season, the stat began with O'Sullivan at the Shanghai Masters last July.
O'Sullivan defeated Ding 6-3 before losing 10-3 to Trump in the semi-finals.
Of course, while the new hex may only be a seasonal haunting, the 48-year-old 'Crucible Curse' shows no signs of being lifted.
Simply put, that curse is the belief that no first-time world champion has ever successfully followed up with a defence in the next year.
Defending champion Kyren Wilson wanted to break it, but lost to 10-9 to Lei Peifan in the first round in April.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Murray leaves door open to coaching return
June 10 (Reuters) - Former world number one Andy Murray has left the door open to a coaching return after his short stint with Novak Djokovic ended without a trophy, but the Scot said he did not expect to be working with another player anytime soon. Serb Djokovic appointed Murray ahead of this year's Australian Open and said at the Qatar Open in February they would continue working together for an indefinite period. However, the 24-times Grand Slam champion then endured a woeful run of form and the pair parted ways last month ahead of the French Open. "I would do it again at some stage. I don't think that will happen immediately," Murray told the BBC on Monday. "I wasn't planning on going into coaching as soon as I finished playing but it was a pretty unique opportunity. "It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time. You also learn a lot about how to work with a team. "You're working with a physio, physical trainers, agents, and you need to know how to get your message across to the player and find out what makes them tick. "That was the thing I learned and something I need to work on if I want to do it again in the future," added Murray. Though they won no titles in their six-month partnership, Murray said he had good memories of his time working with former rival Djokovic. "It was a brilliant opportunity for me. We got to spend some really nice moments away from the court," the three-times Grand Slam champion added. "Results weren't as we wanted but we gave it a go. We'll see about coaching in the future but I don't think that will happen for a while."
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENNIS fans slammed the BBC for snubbing live coverage of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter's doubles debut. The all-star British duo teamed up for the first time at Queen's in the opening grass-court event ahead of Wimbledon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter played their first competitive doubles match together Credit: Getty 3 The British pairing beat Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang 6-4 6-2 Credit: PA But despite the BBC holding the rights to the tournament and the euphoria around tennis after yesterday's epic French Open final, they opted against spotlighting two of GB's biggest names and instead only showed the singles action on the main show court - now called the Andy Murray Arena. While Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage and two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova were live on TV, that meant that Raducanu and Boulter - second up on Court 1 - were overlooked on BBC Two. And their match against Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang was not available for British tennis fans to watch on either the red button or iPlayer. BBC presenter Isa Guha said: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." READ MORE ON TENNIS MIC MY DAY Wimbledon finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage But wannabe viewers were not happy. One moaned: "Errrrr you've got two Brits linking up in the doubles - don't you think that might have been of an interest to the British viewers?" Another blasted: "You have the British women 1 and 2 playing together in doubles and you're not showing it? Make it make sense!! So frustrating!!" A third added: "You just showed a clip of Court 1 where Emma and Katie are starting their match; so why not show the match as a second option or one court on iPlayer and one on BBC Two? Very frustrating!" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A fourth complained: "Literally just showed us a clip of it why can't we watch it?!!!!" A fifth fumed: "Absolutely ridiculous you're not showing Boulter/Raducanu in doubles." Katie Boulter destroys tennis star fiance Alex de Minaur in four words after newly-engaged couple lose in doubles And a final user typed: "Why isn't Court 1 on BBC iPlayer though? Can't watch Boultercanu?" Boulter and Raducanu - nicknamed Boulteranu by some on social media - ran out 6-4 6-2 winners in 71 minutes, laughing and high-fiving their way to victory in joyful scenes in front of the 1,000-seater stand. The match was Raducanu's second WTA doubles match of her career - and a first win. Quizzed if they would team up again at Wimbledon, the former US Open champion downplayed their ambitions. Raducanu - delighted to have overcome any injury concerns as she ended the match with a volley - insisted: 'It's a spontaneous thing, we're just trying to do the best we can this week. "We thought about it in Madrid, Miami and Paris. 'Moving to the grass, which is a very different surface, it helps us get a feel of serving, returning and playing some points." Tennis stars' new careers PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring. But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best… I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend I'm last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I'm singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts I'm former world No1 but quit aged 29 - instead I went on to play professional poker and golf I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist But partner Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title! "No, just kidding… we haven't thought about that. "We both return very well and have great volleys, so if one of us hits a good ball we can capitalise on that. "I'm very confident that Emma is going to put the ball away if I hit a good shot." World No37 Raducanu - who admitted she is still "wary" in public after he stalker hell - faces Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday. Boulter, three places higher than her partner in the WTA rankings, takes on Ajla Tomljanovic. SunSport has contacted the BBC for comment on the snub, which comes after news that the BBC will have to share broadcast rights to the singles finals at Wimbledon with TNT Sports for the next five years. 3 Raducanu had only played one WTA doubles match before Credit: Getty
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
TENNIS fans slammed the BBC for snubbing live coverage of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter's doubles debut. The all-star British duo teamed up for the first time at Queen's in the opening grass-court event ahead of Wimbledon. 3 But despite the BBC holding the rights to the tournament and the euphoria around tennis after yesterday's epic French Open final, they opted against spotlighting two of GB's biggest names and instead only showed the singles action on the main show court - now called the Andy Murray Arena. While Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage and two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova were live on TV, that meant that Raducanu and Boulter - second up on Court 1 - were overlooked on BBC Two. And their match against Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang was not available for British tennis fans to watch on either the red button or iPlayer. BBC presenter Isa Guha said: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." But wannabe viewers were not happy. One moaned: "Errrrr you've got two Brits linking up in the doubles - don't you think that might have been of an interest to the British viewers?" Another blasted: "You have the British women 1 and 2 playing together in doubles and you're not showing it? Make it make sense!! So frustrating!!" A third added: "You just showed a clip of Court 1 where Emma and Katie are starting their match; so why not show the match as a second option or one court on iPlayer and one on BBC Two? Very frustrating!" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A fourth complained: "Literally just showed us a clip of it why can't we watch it?!!!!" A fifth fumed: "Absolutely ridiculous you're not showing Boulter/Raducanu in doubles." Katie Boulter destroys tennis star fiance Alex de Minaur in four words after newly-engaged couple lose in doubles And a final user typed: "Why isn't Court 1 on BBC iPlayer though? Can't watch Boultercanu?" Boulter and Raducanu - nicknamed Boulteranu by some on social media - ran out 6-4 6-2 winners in 71 minutes, laughing and high-fiving their way to victory in joyful scenes in front of the 1,000-seater stand. The match was Raducanu's second WTA doubles match of her career - and a first win. Quizzed if they would team up again at Wimbledon, the former US Open champion downplayed their ambitions. Raducanu - delighted to have overcome any injury concerns as she ended the match with a volley - insisted: 'It's a spontaneous thing, we're just trying to do the best we can this week. "We thought about it in Madrid, Miami and Paris. 'Moving to the grass, which is a very different surface, it helps us get a feel of serving, returning and playing some points." But partner Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title! "No, just kidding… we haven't thought about that. "We both return very well and have great volleys, so if one of us hits a good ball we can capitalise on that. "I'm very confident that Emma is going to put the ball away if I hit a good shot." World No37 Raducanu - who admitted she is still "wary" in public after he stalker hell - faces Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday. Boulter, three places higher than her partner in the WTA rankings, takes on Ajla Tomljanovic. SunSport has contacted the BBC for comment on the snub, which comes after news that the BBC will have to share broadcast rights to the singles finals at Wimbledon with TNT Sports for the next five years. Wimbledon ditching line judges a double fault for British tennis By Joshua Jones THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight. For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club. Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call "fault" with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans. Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head. And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable "oooh" when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out. Purely objectively, Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense. The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls - well, until the technology malfunctions. And Wimbledon's hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis. The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025. Wimbledon's refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error. But the impact - as is so often the case in these decisions - has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon's Championships or the players. It is on the line judges themselves. Approximately 300 officials - aged from 18 to 80 - covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon. A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon. For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club. But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer. That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges. So the inability to call "out" at Wimbledon could prove to be a major "fault" for the future of the UK's tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
