Ding wins first ranking title in five years

China's Ding Junhui won his first ranking title in five years, defeating England's Chris Wakelin 10-7 in the final of the 2024 International Championship in Nanjing, China.

The victory marked Ding's first title since his third UK Championship win in 2019, following three consecutive losses in finals. A raucous home crowd cheered him on as he made a comeback, recovering from a 4-1 deficit to claim the win.

"I didn’t know my family were to be there," Ding told World Snooker. "My kids hadn’t seen me win anything live before."

Wakelin, who was seeking his second ranking title after winning the Shoot Out in 2023, made an impressive start, taking a 4-1 lead with breaks of 63, 92, 85, and 64. However, Ding mounted a remarkable comeback, winning six consecutive frames. The final frame of this run came after Wakelin missed a red while attempting to clear up.

Wakelin fought back with breaks of 85 and 82 to reduce Ding’s lead to 7-6, but Ding responded with a 98 break to push ahead. Wakelin won a scrappy 15th frame, but Ding sealed the win with three straight frames to finish 10-7 and claim the title.