Stuart Bingham
Encyclopedia
Stuart Bingham is an English
professional snooker
player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose. He was the 26th player to compile 100 competitive centuries and the 8th to achieve a maximum break twice in professional matches. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open
.
, beating the world champion John Higgins along the way, and later in the season caused a major shock by defeating Stephen Hendry
10–7 in the first round of the 2000 World Championship
, ranked a lowly 97 in the world. He also qualified for the tournament in 2002
by beating Nigel Bond
. In the 2004/2005 season
his best runs were two last-sixteen runs in ranking events
, including losing in a final decider to Ding Junhui
in the China Open
.
In 2005/2006
, he took his best run of results. He reached the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix
tournament, beating then world champion Shaun Murphy
along the way. He got to the same stage of the UK Championship
. He also won the qualifying tournament for the Masters
, scoring a 147 along the way. He then beat Steve Davis
in the preliminary round. At the start of 2005 a top 16 rankings position looked a possibility, however defeat to Ryan Day
in qualifying for the World Championship
ended his chances of doing so, although he did move up into the top 32. 2006/2007
was not so strong, and he again failed to qualify for the World Championship, though he did achieve the unique feat of winning the Masters qualifying tournament for a second successive season, defeating Mark Selby
6–2 in the final.
He made a good start to the 2007/08
season, reaching the quarter finals of the Shanghai Masters, losing 5–0 to Mark Selby. After finishing 4th in his group in the Grand Prix
he then lost his first match in the Northern Ireland Trophy
. In the Maplin UK Championship
he managed to reach the last 16, losing to Shaun Murphy 9–3, after victories over Fergal O'Brien
and Steve Davis again. He also reached the same stage of the Welsh Open
, beating Stephen Maguire
5–4, after being 3–0 down, in the last 32, but subsequently lost 5–2 to Joe Perry
in the last 16. He qualified for the World Championship
with a comfortable 10–3 win over Adrian Gunnell
, and then he beat Steve Davis
once again in the first around 10–8 (this after having led 8–3 and been pegged back at 8–8), only to lose to Joe Perry
again in the second round 13–9. 2008/2009 was a comparative disappointment for Bingham, who lost his first match in four of the eight events.
As well as his two 147 breaks, Bingham also came agonisingly close to scoring one in the 2002 World Championship, making it all the way to a difficult final pink before missing in a vain attempt to get position on the final black. To make matters worse, he lost the match 10–8 to Ken Doherty
.
Bingham was drawn against Ronnie O'Sullivan is the first round of the 2009 World Championship due to be held in April. He lost the match 10–5.
Bingham reached the Quarter final stages of the 2010 UK Championship having defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 9–6 and then Marco Fu 9–2 in previous rounds before losing 9–7 to Northern Ireland's Mark Allen
. Had he won the match it would have meant him entering the top 16 in the World Rankings for the first time in his career. Later that season, Bingham qualified once again for the World Championship and beat former champion Peter Ebdon
10–8 in the first round. In the second round he went up against Ding Junhui
and played well to go 12–9 up but Ding produced a great comeback to win 13–12. Had Bingham won the match, he would have ended the season ranked inside the world's top 16.
In July 2011 Bingham won the first world ranking event in his sixteen year career, coming back from 8–5 down to beat Mark Williams
9–8 to win the Australian Goldfields Open and the 60000$ first prize. His run included a revenge 5–2 frames victory over his crucible conqueror Ding Junhui and a 5–3 victory over bitter rival Mark Allen
, as well as a semi-final 6–2 win over former World Champion Shaun Murphy
. The victory also meant that Bingham, who had already finally entered the top 16 for the first time due to results in the Players Tour Championship, rose to a career high ranking of #12.
He is also well known for his work with Amnesty International and is a strong supporter of charitable causes.
| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (1–0)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|align="center" width="50"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 2011
| Australian Goldfields Open
|
Wales Mark Williams
| align="center"| 9–8
|}
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose. He was the 26th player to compile 100 competitive centuries and the 8th to achieve a maximum break twice in professional matches. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...
.
Career
In 1999, Bingham reached the quarter-final stage of the Welsh OpenWelsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
, beating the world champion John Higgins along the way, and later in the season caused a major shock by defeating Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
10–7 in the first round of the 2000 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2000
The 2000 Embassy World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 15 April and 1 May 2000 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England....
, ranked a lowly 97 in the world. He also qualified for the tournament in 2002
World Snooker Championship 2002
The 2002 Embassy World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 20 April and 6 May 2002 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England....
by beating Nigel Bond
Nigel Bond
-External links:*...
. In the 2004/2005 season
Snooker world rankings 2004/2005
Snooker world rankings 2004/2005: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2004/2005 season are listed below. This was Chris Small's only top 16 season, and Paul Hunter's only appearance in the top 4.-References:...
his best runs were two last-sixteen runs in ranking events
Snooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
, including losing in a final decider to Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
in the China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...
.
In 2005/2006
Snooker world rankings 2005/2006
Snooker world rankings 2005/2006: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2005/2006 season are listed below.-Note:...
, he took his best run of results. He reached the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
tournament, beating then world champion Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...
along the way. He got to the same stage of the UK Championship
UK Championship (snooker)
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
. He also won the qualifying tournament for the Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
, scoring a 147 along the way. He then beat Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
in the preliminary round. At the start of 2005 a top 16 rankings position looked a possibility, however defeat to Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
in qualifying for the World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
ended his chances of doing so, although he did move up into the top 32. 2006/2007
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2006/2007 season are listed below.-Notes:...
was not so strong, and he again failed to qualify for the World Championship, though he did achieve the unique feat of winning the Masters qualifying tournament for a second successive season, defeating Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...
6–2 in the final.
He made a good start to the 2007/08
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...
season, reaching the quarter finals of the Shanghai Masters, losing 5–0 to Mark Selby. After finishing 4th in his group in the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
he then lost his first match in the Northern Ireland Trophy
Northern Ireland Trophy
- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
. In the Maplin UK Championship
UK Snooker Championship
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship and is one of the Triple Crown events.-History:...
he managed to reach the last 16, losing to Shaun Murphy 9–3, after victories over Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien is an Irish professional snooker player. He has won one ranking title and reached two other major finals, and spent three seasons as a top 16 player.-Career:...
and Steve Davis again. He also reached the same stage of the Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
, beating Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
5–4, after being 3–0 down, in the last 32, but subsequently lost 5–2 to Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...
in the last 16. He qualified for the World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2008
The 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.John Higgins was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 9–13 against Ryan Day....
with a comfortable 10–3 win over Adrian Gunnell
Adrian Gunnell
Adrian Gunnell is an English professional snooker player from Telford. He has reached the last-16 in four world ranking events , but has yet to progress beyond that stage...
, and then he beat Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
once again in the first around 10–8 (this after having led 8–3 and been pegged back at 8–8), only to lose to Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...
again in the second round 13–9. 2008/2009 was a comparative disappointment for Bingham, who lost his first match in four of the eight events.
As well as his two 147 breaks, Bingham also came agonisingly close to scoring one in the 2002 World Championship, making it all the way to a difficult final pink before missing in a vain attempt to get position on the final black. To make matters worse, he lost the match 10–8 to Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
.
Bingham was drawn against Ronnie O'Sullivan is the first round of the 2009 World Championship due to be held in April. He lost the match 10–5.
Bingham reached the Quarter final stages of the 2010 UK Championship having defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 9–6 and then Marco Fu 9–2 in previous rounds before losing 9–7 to Northern Ireland's Mark Allen
Mark Allen (snooker player)
Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...
. Had he won the match it would have meant him entering the top 16 in the World Rankings for the first time in his career. Later that season, Bingham qualified once again for the World Championship and beat former champion Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
10–8 in the first round. In the second round he went up against Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
and played well to go 12–9 up but Ding produced a great comeback to win 13–12. Had Bingham won the match, he would have ended the season ranked inside the world's top 16.
In July 2011 Bingham won the first world ranking event in his sixteen year career, coming back from 8–5 down to beat Mark Williams
Mark Williams
- Australia :*Mark Williams , Australian rules footballer with North Melbourne and Footscray*Mark Williams , Australian rules footballer with Brisbane and Collingwood, former coach of Port Adelaide...
9–8 to win the Australian Goldfields Open and the 60000$ first prize. His run included a revenge 5–2 frames victory over his crucible conqueror Ding Junhui and a 5–3 victory over bitter rival Mark Allen
Mark Allen
Mark Allen may refer to:*Mark Allen , former British spy turned businessman and lecturer*Mark Allen , American world champion triathlete*Mark "Bull" Allen , New Zealand international rugby football player...
, as well as a semi-final 6–2 win over former World Champion Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy may refer to:*Shaun Murphy , English snooker player*Shaun Murphy , retired Australian soccer player*Shaun Murphy , aka Stoney, American singer-See also:...
. The victory also meant that Bingham, who had already finally entered the top 16 for the first time due to results in the Players Tour Championship, rose to a career high ranking of #12.
Personal
As well as snooker, Bingham is a useful golf player; he currently plays off of a handicap of 5 at Crondon Park Golf Club, Essex.He is also well known for his work with Amnesty International and is a strong supporter of charitable causes.
Ranking event finals: 1 (1 title)
{|| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (1–0)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|align="center" width="50"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 2011
2011 Australian Goldfields Open
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.-Preliminary round:...
| Australian Goldfields Open
|
Wales Mark WilliamsMark Williams (snooker player)
Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
| align="center"| 9–8
|}