Category: News & Events

Bingham takes positives from run to final in Belgium

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date October 9, 2017

STUART BINGHAM felt he had an added to steel to his game in his run to the final of the European Masters in Belgium.

Ballrun lost 9-7 in a nip and tuck final to defending champion Judd Trump on Sunday evening in Lommel.

But wins over Mitchell Mann (4-2), Graeme Dott (4-0), home favourite Luca Brecel (4-2), world champion Mark Selby (4-2) and rising Chinese star Zhou Yuelong (6-4) gave the Basildon pro the belief that hard work with his new cue and new coach Terry Griffiths is now starting to pay dividends.

Bingham, who arrived back home at 5am this morning after getting the ferry back with his manager Gary Purkiss, said: “Of course I am disappointed because it does feel like another one that has gotten away.

“I think I have now lost in finals to Ricky Walden in the Wuxi Classic, Stephen Maguire at the Welsh Open, Shaun Murphy at the Grand Prix and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Champions of Champions, and to John Higgins in an invitational, so I could easily have about eight titles now rather than four.

“But I have to be happy with the week over all and last night I out-scored Judd and I think he said he felt I outplayed him.

Tags European Masters

News & Events

Ballrun ready to weather The Storm

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date September 25, 2017

STUART BINGHAM is looking forward to facing his practice partner and friend Sean O’Sullivan in a qualifier tomorrow – and admits the young Londoner is an emerging talent.

World No 9 Bingham takes on the 23-year-old from Whitechapel on Tuesday (Sep 26) in Preston as he bids to secure a spot at November’s International Championship in China.

O’Sullivan (pictured), nicknamed The Storm, is in his fourth season on snooker’s top Tour and Ballrun knows he is not to be taken lightly.

He said: “I’m good friends with Sean, he has the support of a nice family and I regularly practice with him.

“He is improving all the time, he has a good cue action and a great long game that creates chances for him.

“He perhaps needs to work on his break-building a bit but he is a dangerous opponent for sure in a best-of-11 so I’ll have to be at my best.”

Tags International Championship

News & Events

Bingham ready for shoot-out with promising Jones at the Indian Open

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date September 12, 2017

STUART BINGHAM said he would welcome a “score fest” against Welshman Duane Jones at the Indian Open if that is how their match pads out.

Ballrun, who beat Chen Zifan to qualify, starts his campaign against Jones (pictured above), 24, tomorrow (September 13) in the fourth ranking event of the season in Visakhapatnam.

Bingham said: “I have never played him but I have heard from other players he can score well if he gets going.

“But if it is a score fest I would welcome that because it suits my game and I would back myself to come out on top.

“That said, if it is a bit cagey then I guess I’ll have to try and use my experience to tie him up a bit. We’ll see, but I am looking forward to it.

“It is a nice venue, we are a stone’s throw away from the beach and it is 35 degrees, and it does feel a bit like a place you would go on holiday. But when we get underway – I’ll be all business.”

Tags Indian Open

News & Events

Bingham hopes to take fighting chance against Maguire to stay in the Six Reds

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date September 5, 2017

STUART BIGNHAM admits he will need to get “on a roll” against Stephen Maguire tomorrow afternoon to progress at the Sangsom Six Red World Championship after a win and a defeat from his opening two games in Bangkok.

Ballrun beat Kamal Chawla 5-2 but lost 5-1 to home favourite Akani Songsermsawad today to leave himself needing at least a 5-2 victory against Scot Maguire to secure a Group E top two spot in Thailand.

The world No 9, who lost a dramatic final to Ding Junhui last year, said: “It is 30 degree heat outside and the air con here is pretty strong and the tables are playing pretty slow, which is a challenge, especially as I am getting used to a new cue.

Tags Six Red World Championship

News & Events

Bingham admits he didn’t take his chances in Yan defeat

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date August 18, 2017

STUART BINGHAM admits he paid the price for not taking his chances in the 5-3 defeat to Yan Bingtao at the Evergrande China Championship.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year Yan (pictured) carried on his strong start to the season with an eye-catching win on the opening morning in in Guangzhou.

Ballrun said: “I had good preparation before heading to Hong Kong and got there a couple of days early to get use to the time difference and meet with a potential sponsor.

Tags China Championship

News & Events

Bingham gets thumbs up from Griff after three wins from three

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date August 8, 2017

STUART BINGHAM joked he finally managed to impress his new coach Terry Griffiths after three wins from three in qualifiers this week.

Ballrun beat Chen Zifan 4-1 in the Indian Open and Tian Pengfai 4-1 in the European Masters, then triumphed 5-1 against Me Xi Wen today (Aug 8) to secure his spot at next month’s World Open in China.

It was an excellent return on a week of back-and-forth trips on the train to the Preston Guild Hall and proof the world No 9 is adapting well to his new Cue Creator cue and the guidance of Welsh legend Griffiths.

Bingham said: “I got a seven-out-of-ten mark from the Griff after the Chen match – but that came down to a three after Tian! And that was probably fair enough as my highest break was 36, but I got the job done.

“But Terry is spot on and a good laugh. He knows when to have a joke and when to be serious and what he says gets me in the right frame of mind.

Tags World Open

News & Events

Bingham faces Chinese trio in week of qualifiers

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date July 29, 2017

STUART BINGHAM is hoping to kick-start his season as he embarks on qualifying matches against three Chinese players at Preston Guild Hall this week.

Ballrun starts his busy schedule against against Chen Zifan in the Indian Open at 4pm on Tuesday (Aug 1), then faces Tian Pengfai in the European Masters on Friday, and he finishes against Me Xi Wen in the World Open next Tuesday.

He said: “I saw Chen play a bit at the Academy in Sheffield when I was there for the World Championships and he looks good.

“I don’t know a lot about any of them to be fair but I think it will be more about how I play – and if I play as well as I can I should win.

Tags World Open

News & Events

Bingham hits the greens during quiet month on the baize

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date July 13, 2017

STUART BINGHAM made the most of a quiet month for him on the snooker Tour by dusting off his golf clubs for charity.

The world No 9 was part of a four-man team in action at the Celebrity Golf Classic at Hanbury Manor in support of the President’s Sports Club and The Essex Disabled Sports Foundation.

Ballrun and fellow sporting stars including Nigel Mansell, Kriss Akabusi, Luther Blissett, Micky Hazard and Ozzie Ardiles took part in the event in Ware in early July.

Bingham (pictured second from the right at the top) said: “It was on one of the par threes and with the old hickory clubs. It makes it a bit of a showpiece.

“I didn’t do as well as I could have but still got 33 points and our team, which was me and three guys on a corporate day, came about middle of the pack.

“But it was a great occasion and I was honoured to take part and, importantly, it raised the profile of a great Essex-based charity.”

Tags General

News & Events

Bingham keen to put new cue into action

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date July 5, 2017

STUART BINGHAM was very pleased with the feel of his new cue this month – and is now itching to use it in top-class action.

The 2015 world champion has been supplied bespoke equipment by the Cue Creator team, an American company which is headed up by the Sharp family and uses cues manufactured by McDermott Cues made in Menomonee Falls.

Bingham started using it on the practice table on the weekend and says it immediately had a positive impact on his game.

Ballrun said: “I got it after Riga and used it for practice and I knocked in a ton and four or five fifties, so it feels good. It just feels like it has a bit more life in it than my old cue, and I hope that margin of improvement can pay off for me.

Tags Riga Masters

News & Events

Bingham ready to resume close encounter with Mark Davis

Post author By James Colasanti
Post date June 21, 2017

STUART BINGHAM will be looking to sneak ahead in his all-square career head-to-head record with good friend Mark Davis in Latvia this week.

Ballrun, 41, and the Battler from Hastings, 44, have played 22 times and it is 11 wins apiece heading into the best-of-seven at the Kaspersky Riga Masters on Friday morning (June 23).

They can barley be split on frames won either, with Bingham on 76 and Davis 73 – or on the golf course for that matter.

Davis is world ranked number 37 and has reached four ranking semi-finals and has won the Six-Red World Championship three times, and Bingham is braced for another nip-and-tuck battle.

The world No 9, who beat Li Hang to book his place at the Arena Riga, said: “Mark is just a solid player, he is consistently seven out of ten and you just have to play very well to beat him. I guess that is why the record is so close.

“And we are good friends too, with go for meals together and our wives get on, and I share the same birthday as his son.

“I’ve played him at golf at few times in the past. It is pretty even there too, although I did used to get the better of him a bit when I was playing off five or six.”

Tags Riga Masters