Stuart Bingham has won his second event of the season after emerging victorious in the Haining Open on Friday.
The 38 year-old won the Shanghai Masters at the end of September and has added this campaign’s second Asian Tour event.
Indeed, Bingham has clearly taken a liking to the minor ranking event series in the Far East as this his is fourth title since its inception in 2012.
In today’s final, Bingham in the end easily overcame the challenge of teenager Oliver Lines – a player seemingly destined for a successful career in the sport.
Lines, who gained an invitation onto the Main Tour for the first time this year following his triumph in the European Under-21 Championship last March, had already caused a sensation in his rookie campaign when he knocked world champion Mark Selby out of the International Championship last month.
The fact that the 19 year-old, son of veteran professional Peter Lines, supported that with a run to the final this week only cements his status as an exciting up-and-coming talent.
However, coming from 3-2 down to Jimmy Robertson in the last four appeared to finally take it out of the Leeds competitor and the experienced Bingham gratefully took advantage for the £10,000 top prize.
A lot can be said for Bingham’s dedication and love for the sport.
Known as ‘Ballrun’ because of his uncanny tendency to get lucky bounces earlier in his career, Bingham hasn’t always been at the sport’s peak.
However, nobody can ever question the Englishman’s determination and will to win.
In fact, Bingham is arguably the biggest benefactor of the Barry Hearn era as his career has completely turned around with the influx of new of tournaments since 2010.
Now an established top 16 player for quite some time, Bingham will go to Chengdu for the International Championship next week full of confidence and well capable of collecting further silverware.
One footnote to Bingham’s victory is that it means that Ali Carter’s hopes of acquiring a Champion of Champions invitation via his world ranking remains alive.
The ‘Captain’, who returned to the sport following his battle with cancer last week to incredibly win the General Cup, requires a player who has already qualified for the tournament in Coventry to win the upcoming International Championship for him to be given the nod.
I think most people would hope that this materialises.
