Ding Junhui’s hopes of landing a second Sangsom Six Red World Championship in Bangkok remain intact after he edged his semi-final with Luca Brecel 7-6.

The Chinese came through a deciding frame to win an entertaining tussle and put himself through to face either Sunni Akani or Kyren Wilson in the decider on Saturday. Ding was Six Red World Champion in 2016 and had dashed the hopes of home favourite James Wattana, Thailand’s veteran three-time ranking event winner, with a 6-2 win to clinch his place in the semi-finals.

Wattana won the opening frame but Ding took five of the next six to move onto the verge of victory and made no mistake late on. Brecel meanwhile downed Tom Ford 6-3 in their quarter-final clash. The Belgian, who claimed his maiden ranking title at last season’s China Championship, won four frames on the bounce from 3-2 down to burst over the line and knock off the man that ended world number one Mark Selby’s hopes in the last-16.

Ding looked to be heading for the exit door when he trailed Brecel 6-5, but he hit back to take the last two frames with impressive breaks of 57 and 72. The world number six Ding will be waiting for Akani or recent Paul Hunter Classic winner Wilson in Saturday’s best-of-15 frame decider, with the winner to receive 3.5 million Baht (£82,000).