STUART BINGHAM says he has flown out to China early to readjust to the conditions ahead of next week’s International Championship.
Ballrun will face fellow Englishman and world No 63 Robbie Williams in Daqing at the ranking event which will see the champion take home the £150,000 top prize.
Bingham said: “I think I played Robbie at this tournament before and he is starting to show what a good player he is at the moment.
STUART BINGHAM admits he is “riding a wave” of some excellent form at the moment and wants to use it to have an extended run at this week’s English Open.
Ballrun beat Welshman Lee Walker 4-0 yesterday at the Barnsley Metrodome and will face the winner of today’s clash between Essex rival Mark King and China’s Fang Xiongman in his next match on Wednesday (October 18).
Bingham reached the final of the European Masters in Belgium earlier this month and since then recorded a 5-1 victory over promising German Lukas Kleckers in a qualifier for the Shanghai Masters.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”