LONDON - China's top snooker player Ding Junhui lost his opening round match against David Lilley 4-2 in the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast on Monday.

The 32-year-old Ding trailed behind at 3-0 before winning two games in a row to make it 3-2. But Lilley, the 44-year-old newly-turned pro wrapped it up by grabbing the sixth game with a break of 71.

Ding, with 13 ranking titles in hand, also failed to reach the second round in the English Open last month and lost in the round of 16 in the World Open in Yushan, China.

The former world number one Ding now is ranked 16th and his 19-year-old compatriot Yan Bingtao is only two places behind.

Yan won his first ranking title in Riga Masters in July. The teenager past the first round in Belfast after seeing off Andy Hicks 4-2.