Tag: General

STUART BINGHAM is determined to start his season right over a week of qualifying tournaments at Preston Guild Hall which will define his summer.

Ball Run will start the new campaign at the Indian Open Qualifiers (May 28-30), the World Open Qualifiers (May 31 to June 2) and Riga Masters Qualifiers (June 3-4).

Bingham warmed up this week by practicing with world No 77 Martin O’Donnell and 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy and says his game is in a good place after the short off-season break.

He said: “I was practicing on my own but felt I needed to play some other players and see how that went.

“I played Martin the other day and I came out on top, so that was a good sign because he is a good player.

STUART BINGHAM enjoyed a thrilling night at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace ahead of his return to the iconic North London venue for the Masters in January.

Snooker’s world champion, who has been a big darts fan for over a decade, was in the crowd with his manager Gary Purkiss for Monday’s action from the oche.

Bingham started going to the annual event when it was staged at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex, in 2004, and stays in touch with darts stars including Rod Harrington, Wayne Mardle and reigning world champion Gary Anderson.

And after front-row seats to see the flamboyant Peter Wright ease past Ronny Huybrechts with a 4-0 win, Bingham said: “I love the darts. It’s such a good night out and a great spectacle. Barry Hearn has done such a good job in raising its profile…

STUART BINGHAM says it was a great honour to get an invite to this year’s star-studded BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in Belfast.

Athletics hero Jessica Ennis-Hill, newly-crowned Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and tennis world No 2 Andy Murray are among the favourites to win the coveted prize at the SSE Arena on Sunday, December 20.

But Bingham, whose fairytale world title win at the Crucible in May captured the imagination of the British sporting public, says he would love to be in the running for an award not won by a snooker pro since Steve Davis’ success 27 years ago.

STUART BINGHAM warmed up for his latest challenge in China with a week of exhibitions in England.

The world champion entertained fans at the opening of a new private snooker room in Harlow on Thursday (Oct 15) before playing ex-pro John Astley in a swanky-do at the Marriott Hotel in Newcastle on Saturday evening.

Ball-run says he is now looking forward to jetting off for China on Monday on route to face 19-year-old Steven Hallworth in the opening round of the International Championship in Daqing on Sunday, November 1.

Hallworth, from Skellingthorpe, only turned pro last year and had to qualify but world No 2 Bingham says he will not be taking the teenager lightly at the third ranking tournament of the season where the winner will take home £125,000.

ESSEX’S snooker world champion Stuart Bingham will aim to impress BBC TV viewers again this autumn when he makes his debut on A Question of Sport.

The world No 2 from Basildon, who wowed millions of armchair sports fans with his exciting Crucible final win over Shaun Murphy in May, drove up to Manchester this week for filming of an episode of the cult classic quiz show.