SPORTS> China
Liang's Shanghai run brings him out of Ding's shadow

Updated: 2009-09-15 21:31

BEIJING - Liang Wenbo, whose run to the final of the Shanghai Masters last weekend put him above China's trailblazer Ding Junhui in the world snooker rankings, is keen to avoid a media-fuelled rivalry with his compatriot.

Liang rose to 13th in the rankings despite defeat to Briton Ronnie O'Sullivan in last Sunday's final, putting him a place above Ding, the winner of three rankings tournaments before the age of 20.

"Please do not make comparisons between us. We are very good friends and we play our best for China," lefthander Liang, who like Ding is 22, told Tuesday's China Daily.

Ding's early success helped spark a surge of interest in the sport in China, which now hosts two of the six ranking tournaments on the professional tour, and Liang is anxious to avoid similar hype.

"What people say is not important. How I play is the real thing to me," he said. "All I want to do is focus on how I play. My play is always changing but my life will remain the same."

Liang may have to get used to a bit more attention after his performance last weekend, which drew praise from world number two O'Sullivan.

"Liang pots so many difficult balls, and that's hard to play against," he said. "You think you've got him in trouble and you'll get back to the table, then he pots a long ball and you have to stay in your seat, so you can get frustrated."