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Ding Junhui recovered from losing the first two frames to lead Mark Allen 5-3 after the first session of their 19-frame Tour Championship quarter-final.
A break of 72 helped Allen to that 2-0 lead but Ding put together a 116 in the next and won the fourth to level.
Allen regained the lead by winning the fifth but breaks of 51 and 67 from the Chinese player in frame six saw him restore parity at Hull’s Bonus Arena.
A run of 92 made it 4-3 to Ding, who also won the next for a two-frame lead.
The eight participants in the event were determined by the points won in ranking tournaments in this season’s events prior to the Tour Championship.
The other first round matches played during the week will see Ali Carter face Kyren Wilson on Tuesday, Mark Selby play Ryan Day on Wednesday and Shaun Murphy take on Robert Milkins on Thursday.
Northern Ireland’s Allen, winner of three events this season, is seeded one, with Ding seeded eight.
The pair met in the final of the UK Championship in York in November, with Allen triumphing 10-7 in that decider.
The winner will pick up a first prize of £150,000 out of a total prize fund of £380,000.
