Ding Potters to Stoke win

Ding Junhui became the sixth different winner of a Premier League night this season with victory in Stoke.

The world number four joins Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Matthew Stevens, Mark Williams and Judd Trump as venue winners in what is without doubt becoming the most fiercely contested Premier League tournament of all time.

This season saw the traditional old league format ditched in favour of ten separate knock-out nights each competed in by four players with the results being tallied into an overall league ladder.

With matches being played as best-of-five-frame matches and the possibility of Shoot-Out style deciding frame, there's been plenty of thrills and spills, and it means we're no closer to knowing who will reign supreme.

Only John Higgins and Jimmy White are unable to qualify to the finals event so far, but tonight, Ding staked his claim with victories against White and Ali Carter.

Ding isn't always at his glorious best in the Premier League, and he can probably count himself lucky to have picked up maximum points here too.

He knocked out Jimmy in a tense Shoot-Out frame in his semi-final, but the veteran in honesty should have won the match ten times over. He then defeated Ali 3-1 in the final, but was aided by his opponent going in-off on the pink in a crucial frame three, to earn a 2-1 lead.

Ding won't worry one bit though as his chances of making good money in the Premier League remain wide open.

It was always going to be interesting seeing what frame of mind Ding turned up in for this event, after his recent and upcoming PTC omissions. It's difficult to understand why he's chosen not to take part given how competitive life is in the rankings right now.

My only guess is that he's slightly concerned about burning out ahead of the biggest events of the season still to come. That said, you'd assume the PTCs would give him the adequate match sharpness to bolster his hopes of titles.

Whatever his reasons, despite not being at his very best in Stoke, a win is a win and he's definitely not one to write off in the Premier League.

When he turns up at his break-building best, he's a match for anyone under any format.