Snooker pundit Neal Foulds believes Ding Junhui will have to go back to the drawing board after the recent UK Championship winner’s slump in form continued to disastrous effect.

China’s number one star returned to his glory days just two months ago when he won the UK Championship playing the kind of snooker that has seen him become one of the world’s most talented players in this generation.

But since that memorable triumph in York, Ding has failed to back it up and has since suffered early exits in The Masters and both in the European Masters and the German Masters ranking events.

And things got even worse for Ding when he lost 4-0 in the opening round of the World Grand Prix in a game in which he clearly showed his frustration on the table several times. Remarkably, Scottish star Scott Donaldson has beaten him in three times in as many weeks.

Before Ding’s UK Championship success, the talented star had failed to win a single ranking event in 27 months and had slid down the world rankings.

Ding Junhui. Picture by Monique Limbos

Now pundits say Ding is back to where he was before his UK Championship victory and is badly out of form.

Speaking on ITV4, pundit and commentator Neal Foulds could not put his finger on why Ding’s form has suddenly gone the wrong direction.

He said: “As for Ding Junhui himself – I don’t know what’s going on.

“Listen, we are back to where we ere (before his UK Championship victory). We know what he’s capable of – he’s won the UK Championship a few times and the Masters.

“He played brilliantly in the UK and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan along the way and had a great final against Stephen Maguire and now he finds himself back to the beginning and I don’t know why it is.

“It is hard to put your finger on.

“It is difficult for the treadmill of players that go from tournament to tournament and that maybe is what he struggles with.”

What do you think is wrong with Ding Junhui’s game?