Ding puts paid to Whirlwind hopes - 13/10/2011

Semi Final 2: Ding Junhui 3-2 Jimmy White 39-87 (White 52, 34), 66-59 (White 59, Ding 31), 72-56 (White 52, Ding 56), 115-24 (Ding 37, 78), 59-20.

Jimmy White recorded his first points in the 2011 PartyPoker.com Premier League but failed at the final hurdle, going down in the shoot out decider to Ding Junhui who now has the chance to make some progress up the table when he faces Ali Carter in tonight’s final.

White, who lost his opening two matches by a 3-0 scoreline, got the sell-out Stoke crowd right behind him as he took the opener courtesy of a 52 break. He had a great chance to go 2-0 but Ding stole the second on the final black.

The Whirlwind was not done though as he won a tight third frame with another half century but the Chinese player asserted himself in the fourth with the biggest break of the match – a 78.

That set up the decider but Ding kept ahead as the clock ran down and with White needing around 40 points in the last minute, it was a little too much.

That defeat effectively ends White’s Premier League hopes but gives Ding a real shot at making the final four at Potters in November.