A snooker player was docked the opening frame of a match after he turned up in the wrong outfit for the tournament.

Chinese player Ding Junhui “forgot” about the all-black dress code for the English Open in Brentwood and, after a friend dashed out to buy him a set, he was late for the start and forfeited the first frame.

Ding, 36, was wearing his usual brown snooker suit with bow tie and waistcoat when he arrived for his best-of-seven match against compatriot Ma Hailong on Monday.

Ding told the World Snooker Tour website: “I totally forgot that I needed a black shirt and trousers for this tournament.

“My memory is not good! I didn’t think about it. Once I was playing, I tried to just concentrate on the match.”

After falling behind 3-1, the 14-time ranking event winner made a strong comeback by winning the last three frames.

Ding said: “Luckily Ma’s safety was not that good, and he gave me enough chances to win.”

It’s not the first time a snooker player has had trouble with their clothes during a match.

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In 2022, Judd Trump had to borrow fellow player Xiao Guodong’s waistcoat after his luggage was lost en route to the European Masters in Germany.

Twenty years earlier, Graeme Dott played the first two frames of his China Open match against Darren Morgan minus underpants after oversleeping due to jet-lag following a much-delayed 43-hour journey to Shanghai.