Ding Junhui and Tom Ford emerged from deciding-frame thrillers because the 2023 UK Championship commenced with a bang on Saturday.

An unbelievable first day of motion noticed all however one of many allotted frames performed throughout the primary 4 fixtures in York.

Ding battled sickness to battle again from 4-2 down towards Mark Allen, ultimately dispatching the reigning champion 6-5 in what was a repeat of the 2022 ultimate.

Later, Ford orchestrated a extra unlikely turnaround by clawing his means again from a 5-1 deficit to Noppon Saengkham.

It units up a tantalising second-round conflict between Ding and Ford, with a ticket to the distinguished Masters doubtlessly on the road for the winner.

As has change into customary lately, the cut-off level to seal a spot on the Alexandra Palace comes on the conclusion of the UK Championship.

Solely the highest 16 gamers from the official world rankings checklist shall be invited to compete for snooker’s largest invitational prize.

Ford leapfrogged his means into the highest 16 at Ding’s expense by reaching the Worldwide Championship ultimate earlier in November.

The 40 year-old Englishman has been an expert for 20 years however has by no means skilled the joys and status of the Masters.

Nonetheless, a victory for the Ding of their last-16 showdown on the Barbican Centre would see the 2011 Masters champion provisionally return to the elite bracket – with Ford dropping out once more.

“I’m off to go see Mark Allen and provides him a slap,” Tom Ford joked in his post-match press convention.

“Clearly, if he’d crushed Ding, there was a very good probability I’d get into the Masters.”

“However no, it’s in my palms. It’s a giant match, and I feel one of many lower-ranked gamers has acquired to win it.

“Once I say lower-ranked, I don’t imply actually low. It’s across the twenties I feel, however they’d should win it.

“(Both that) or it’s me or Ding. I feel it’s between me and Ding for the Masters actually.”

There are nonetheless a number of permutations which may see the order change once more, no matter what the result’s within the Ding-Ford conflict.

However the others within the chasing pack would want to go deep into the enterprise finish of the match to power their means into rivalry.

Hossein Vafaei and Anthony McGill are the one gamers who don’t want the £250,000 champion’s cheque, with respective runs to the semi-final and ultimate on their agendas as issues stand.

Ding boasts a superior head-to-head document over Ford having received eight of their ten battles in all competitions.

Their most up-to-date encounter in a rating occasion was throughout final 12 months’s UK Championship, when Ding beat Ford 6-3 within the semi-finals.

Elsewhere on Saturday in York, Kyren Wilson’s current struggles continued as he additionally squandered a 5-1 benefit.

With a giant lead within the seventh body and seemingly coasting in direction of the successful line, the previous World Championship runner-up broke down to supply his opponent a reprieve.

Clarke received two tight frames to hold on, and the Welshman then grew in confidence with breaks of 80, 104, and 76 finally taking him by.

Mark Williams shall be Clarke’s subsequent problem, the two-time former UK champion edging Fan Zhengyi 6-4 in the one tie from the primary day that didn’t final the space.

On Sunday, the 4 matches within the backside quarter of the draw will happen.

World champion Luca Brecel will try and kick begin his sluggish season when he faces Yuan Sijun, whereas the in-form Zhang Anda meets Elliot Slessor.

In one of many matches of the primary spherical, Shaun Murphy entertains Hossein Vafaei with Ali Carter additionally getting into the fray towards Matthew Selt.

2023 UK Championship draw and outcomes

Final 32 (bo11)

Saturday
Mark Allen (1) 5-6 Ding Junhui
Tom Ford (16) 6-5 Noppon Saengkham
Mark Williams (9) 6-4 Fan Zhengyi
Kyren Wilson (8) 5-6 Jamie Clarke

Monday
Mark Selby (5) vs Mark Joyce (7pm)
Barry Hawkins (12) vs Ben Woollaston (1pm)
Jack Lisowski (13) vs Jamie Jones (7pm)
Judd Trump (4) vs Pang Junxu (1pm)

Tuesday
Ronnie O’Sullivan (3) vs Anthony McGill (1pm)
Robert Milkins (14) vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (7pm)
John Higgins (11) vs Joe O’Connor (1pm)
Neil Robertson (6) vs Zhou Yuelong (7pm)

Sunday
Shaun Murphy (7) vs Hossein Vafaei (7pm)
Ali Carter (10) vs Matthew Selt (7pm)
Zhang Anda (15) vs Elliot Slessor (1pm)
Luca Brecel (2) vs Yuan Sijun (1pm)

Final 16 (bo11)

Matches to be performed on Wednesday, Nov 29 and Thursday, Nov, 30

Ding Junhui vs Tom Ford (16)
Mark Williams (9) vs Jamie Clarke

Selby/Joyce vs Hawkins/Woollaston
Lisowski/Jones vs Trump/Pang

O’Sullivan/McGill vs Milkins/Un-Nooh
Higgins/O’Connor vs Robertson/Zhou

Murphy/Vafaei vs Carter/Selt
Zhang/Slessor vs Brecel/Yuan

Quarter-Finals (bo11)

Matches to be performed on Friday, Nov 1

Semi-Finals (bo11)

Matches to be performed on Saturday, Nov 2

Ultimate (bo19)

Match to be performed on Sunday, Nov 3

Featured photograph credit score: WST