Defending champion Ding Junhui held firmly under the pressure to progress to the quarter-final of the 2006 World Snooker China Open by defeating Graeme Dott 5-2 on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Ding, who also won the United Kingdom Open last December, easily overcame the stubborn challenge of Scotch Dott with an early attack in the second round of the tournament.

Ding had a 135 break, the highest break since the tournament opened on Monday, in the first frame and held on to a 3-0 lead with a 57 in the second and 59 in the third.

"The high score in the first frame gave me much confidence and much pressure on Dott," said Ding after the match, "So it was easy for me in the following two frames."

Dott, who eliminated Chinese wild card player Yu Delu on Thursday, came back and took the fifth frame with a 59 break.

Ding again took the sixth frame with a 104 break but Dott soon answered with a 120 break in the seventh to make the game 4-2.

"In the fifth frame I made several mistakes and gave many chances to Dott and he caught them," said Ding.

"But he was nervous again in the eighth frame and I took the game easily," Ding added.

Ding only had a highest 29 break in the eighth frame, but it was good enough to win the game and book a berth for the quarter-final.

"I had a good concentration today, I thought I could win before the game," said Ding.

Ding will play Joe Swail, who edged David Roe 5-3 on Thursday, in the quarter-final on Friday.

"I played Ding once last year, and I won 5-4," said Swail, "But tomorrow is another day."

"Ding is the defending champion. I am looking forward to the game with him again. Hopefully I will put up a good show tomorrow, " said Swail.

World No.2 Stephen Hendry also won on Thursday as he crushed out Jamie Cope 5-4 in a nearly three hours marathon.

Trailing 1-3, Hendry pounced to level the game 4-4 and hit a 61 break in the deciding frame to take the victory.

Hendry next faces Mark Williams, who defeated Scott MacKenzie 5-0 early on Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2006)