Ronnie O'Sullivan leads Ding Junhui in Welsh Open final

World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan needs just two more frames for victory after opening up a commanding 7-1 lead over Ding Junhui in the Welsh Open final.

O'Sullivan surged ahead, taking the first three frames, including breaks of 91 and 70, before Ding hit back.

But O'Sullivan went 4-1 up, as well as taking the sixth and seventh frames for a guaranteed lead at the interval, before taking the eighth too.

The pair resume at 19:00 GMT, aiming to win nine frames for the trophy.

Ding's hopes of winning a record-equalling fifth ranking title of the season are fading quickly as he was punished by O'Sullivan, who is looking to win a ranking event for the 26th time.

The 26-year-old from China has been unable to show why he has been the star man of the season so far, missing straightforward pots, and mis-cuing in the fifth frame.

But O'Sullivan, who has lost just seven frames going into the final, has dominated the contest and made three breaks of 70 or above.

A triumph for the 38-year-old Englishman would see him move into third place by himself on the list of all-time ranking winners, behind Stephen Hendry (35) and Steve Davis (28).