CHINESE snooker (斯诺克) star Ding Junhui won his first ranking title this season in Britain on February 20. The 24-year-old beat Mark Selby 9-6 in the final of the Welsh Open. This was Ding’s first championship in the last 26 months. He was delighted and thanked his girlfriend, saying, “She encouraged me to train every day.” Asked if the success gave him hope for the world championship, Ding said: “I’ll practice very hard. I got to the semifinals (半决赛) last year and hope to do better this time.”21ST