Ding holds off McManus rally to reach last 16

Ding Junhui held nerve to fight off a late rally from Alan McManus to win 10-5 in the World Championship first round.

Ding wears a black armband to pay tribute to the victims of the earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Trailing 7-2 overnight, McManus started strongly by taking a trio of frames with a top break of 64. Ding stopped the rot with a run of 75 then crucially took the 41-minute 14th frame after winning a long safety battle on the green. And he cleared from the last red in the next to settle the result.

"Alan played very well this morning and it was a tough match," said Ding, a winner of six ranking titles. "My concentration was not all there and when I got chances I was missing some of them."

McManus should be content with the level of his performance in his first appearance at the Crucible since 2006.

But he will also realise that a highest break of 64 over 15 frames was never going to be good enough to undo a player as potent as Ding no matter the strength of his tactical game.

"I would love to have made it closer but it was a big mountain to claw back and Ding was a worthy winner," said McManus. "I have thoroughly enjoyed being here again. The arena does not change out there and that is a good thing. There is a lot of pressure out there and it is a big occasion whoever you play out there."

Ding will play a last 16 clash with Mark King, who knocked out Mark Allen in the first round.

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