Ding Junhui battled through the baby blues to beat Matthew Selt in a second round deciding frame at the Barbican.
The former champion progressed to the next round despite missing balls and says that although life is good, he misses home and gets lonely without his new born baby.
“It was a tough match for me because I didn’t play that well. I got a lot of chances but didn’t make any breaks and he [Selt] punished me when I was missing the balls," said the world number eight.
“We both got a lot of chances and a decider is painful for anyone to lose their match to.
“I have tried to relax more this year but it didn’t look like it today. Life is going much better but I miss home a lot – I get very lonely without my baby.
“When I play badly or miss the balls I used to get very sad as I think most of the players know but I am trying to think much better. I think about my child and about doing it again – to keep on fighting.”
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