Down-at-heel snooker king Ding Junhui celebrated his 22nd birthday on Friday with a simple on-line wish: by praying for better luck this season.

Ding, who has single-handedly carried the Chinese flag on the international stage since moving to England in 2002, told local portal Sohu.com that he was happy to have sparked a battery of Chinese up-and-comers but that he is not done winning despite a recent dip in fortunes.

"I'm so glad to see more young Chinese players coming up," he told the portal, which organized his virtual birthday bash. "We train and live together. It's great. England has the best players and the best atmosphere for training and competing."

He said the distance between the world's elite and the cue kings China is grooming is shrinking each year.

"There is not such a big gap technically (anymore), but Chinese players lack the confidence and the desire to win at major international competitions," said the current world No 11. "When they come to England, they can see how small the gap really is and that is obviously a giant confidence-booster.

"I just hope I can play better and enjoy some better luck (this season)."

Ding shot to fame in 2005 by winning the inaugural China Open and the UK Championship. He then added the Northern Ireland Trophy in 2006 to become only the second player after Scotland's John Higgins to net all three before his 20th birthday.

Coach Cai Jianzhong said this whirlwind of success quickly attracted other Chinese to pick up the sport and book flight tickets to the UK.

"When players like Ding come home to compete, millions of Chinese watch them on TV and witness their impressive progress, which encourages more youngsters to go and train in England," he said. "It's a very good circle for the sport's development in China."

The main headache for Ding these days is not the global growth of snooker but his own stunted development - and the threat posed to him by his followers.

The Jiangsu province native crashed out of the first round of the World Snooker China Open in Beijing last week at the hands of compatriot Xiao Guodong, the third consecutive year he has failed to advance past the opening stages of China's flagship snooker tournament.

Cai said all Ding needed was a change of luck to reignite his incandescent career and end his major title drought.

"He actually keeps getting better and better over the years. When the going gets tough, he knows how to handle it. It's just that things haven't been going his way lately.

"It's like a hurdle in your mind. Ding played very well in some tournaments but he still couldn't win. We need to get over this hurdle as soon as possible. I'm sure that when one title comes, more will follow.

"Also in snooker, we need some luck. And so far, he hasn't had any."

All of which puts 2007's wins over three former world No 1's - Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis - purely down to skill, as Ding flattened his opponents in the English (Snooker) Premier League.

He said this season he is more focused on relieving the pressure he automatically puts himself under. As such, he and his coach have not set any specific goals for the current season.

Ding is also lightening up, jettisoning his reclusive image and talking more to the media while engaging in playful banter with his fellow players, a sign that he is enjoying life in England more with his countrymen around.

"I don't cook anymore," he told Sohu.com. "I have friends now and they are good at cooking.

"Unfortunately Liang isn't," he blasted, referring to Liang Wenbo, who became the first Chinese to advance to the quarterfinals of a World Championships last year. "He always forgets to add salt so we fired him.

"Now Tian Pengfei and Liu Song have taken over his post, and they're doing a much better job."

Tian, Liu and Xiao form the nucleus of a new generation of Chinese players who hope one day to be as well recognized worldwide as their precursor, Ding.

Tian, 21, made headlines last week by derailing world No 14 Marco Fu in the first round of the China Open. He partnered Ding in the men's pairs and team event at the 2006 Asian Games to claim two gold medals in Doha.

Liu, 26, was the first Chinese player to qualify for the final stages of a ranking tournament, the 2004 Welsh Open, but he has yet to progress beyond the quarterfinals of a major event.

Xiao, also based in England, proved an impressive wildcard last week, upsetting the heavily favored Ding to effectively launch his own career before succumbing to Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-3.

Now all Xiao has to do is learn how to cook.

(China Daily April 7, 2009)