Ebdon beats Ding; smoking O'Sullivan criticized

Peter Ebdon of England plays against Ding Junhui during their China Open snooker tournament semifinals in Beijing, March 31, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

BEIJING - Peter Ebdon demolished Chinese player Ding Junhui to join Stephen Maguire in the China Open final on Saturday.

Despite the local favorite stormed a 3-1 lead before the intermission, Ebdon clipped off five straight frames to set up a championship clash with Scot "On-Fire" Stephen Maguire.

Ebdon was the 2009 China Open champion with Maguire the 2008 winner.

"Ebdon was a great player who treated every shot very cautiously," said Ding Junhui on the eve of his 25-year-old birthday. "That's why the match was slower. But semifinal is fine for me."

"Without any shadow of doubt, that would definitely be the best win of my 20 years career," claimed the 41-year-old Ebdon, "He played almost flawless snooker before the interval."

Ebdon praised Ding as one of the most gifted young men he had ever seen.

"I think Ding played equally incredible snooker like John Higgins," he said. "In terms of abilities, I'll put Ding right up there like Higgins and O'Sullivan."

Ding Junhui reacts during the China Open snooker tournament semifinals against Peter Ebdon of England in Beijing, March 31, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

Early in the afternoon, Scot Stephen Maguire trounced newly crowned Players Tour Championship Finals champion Stephen Lee of England at 6-2.

"I had only seven or eight hours of sleep last few days. If you can't sleep well, you can't ground the form," said Lee.

"I tried to do the different things but I'm just not sleeping and some confidence just got me through the last few weeks."

Lee won his fifth ranking title at Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 Finals on March 18 at Bailey Allen Hall in Ireland, becoming the first player to defeat Neil Robertson in a ranking final in the process.

"I prefer to play Ding if I can choose, because the audience will be a lot and I enjoy it," said Maguire.

Ding Junhui plays against Peter Ebdon of England during their China Open snooker tournament semifinals in Beijing, March 31, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

Smoking O'Sullivan criticized

Ronnie O'Sullivan was criticized by local media and fans after he smoked in a press conference after his loss to Stephen Maguire in the China Open quarterfinals on Monday.

O'Sullivan stepped into a non-smoking press conference room with a lightened cigarette in his fingers. On the right side of the podium, a non-smoking sign in both Chinese and English is on the wall.

He sat down and smoked a couple of rolls with eyes narrowed. "They don't let you (smoke) in England, but in China, you can do what you want. I like it like that," said O'Sullivan.

Ronnie O'Sullivan of England smokes during a press conference after his loss in China Open quarterfinals in Beijing, March 30, 2012. [Photo/My147.com]

It was not the first time that O'Sullivan misbehaved in China Open. He was caught on camera making lewd remarks in the press conference at the time taken for the translation following his exit from the 2008 China Open.

The game's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association punished O'Sullivan for his behavior by docking the appearance money and world ranking points that he had earned from the event.