Snooker: Ding Junhui becomes new world number one

Snooker: Ding Junhui becomes new world number one
China's Ding Junhui has become the 11th world number one in snooker since the rankings started in 1976. He also is first player from Asia to achieve this feat. Ding, aged 27, won no less than five ranking titles last season, a performance that saw him rise to the top of the rankings. He was surprisingly defeated at the UK Championship but Mark Selby and Neil Robertson also suffered early exists. "It's a great achievement," World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said. "It's a great achievement. The goal for him is out there now: can he win the World Championship and bring the crown back to China? The fact is, he's not world number one by luck, he has got there on performance." Here are snooker's 11 world number ones, in chronological order: Ray Reardon, Cliff Thorburn, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui. Ronnie O'Sullivan moved from fourth to third after his victory over Judd Trump in the UK Championship final. Ding Junhui is 10/1 at Bet365 to win the Snooker World Championship in 2015.
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