Stuart Bingham
Name: Stuart Bingham
DOB: May 21st, 1976
Nationality: English
Turned Pro: 1995
Highest Ranking: #21 (2008-)
Current Ranking: #21
Highest Break: 147×2
Career Highlights: 2005 & 2006 Masters Qualifying Event Champion, 2005 UK Championships & Grand Prix Quarter-Finalist, 1999 Welsh Open Quarter-Finalist, 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy Quarter-Finalist, 2008 Dutch Open Champion
In short
Stuart is a very capable player who in 2000 was responsible for causing one of the biggest upsets ever seen in the World Championship when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the first round. Since then although he has steadily moved up the rankings, he has failed to make a really big impression on an event, his best results being four quarter-final places.
Early career
A former English and World Amateur champion, Stuart has found life in the professional ranks to be somewhat harder.
When he did make a mark however it was to be one to remember as at the World Championship in 2000 he caused a major shock by defeating the defending champion Stephen Hendry in the first round. Although he was to lose out 13-9 to Jimmy White in the second round, this performance was enough to help him up to a career high 43rd in the rankings.
The next few seasons were relatively quiet, always maintaining his place on the tour comfortably enough but without repeating his heroics of 2000. He did qualify for the Crucible again in 2002 by defeating Nigel Bond in the final qualifying round but this time it was to be a memorable occasion for all the wrong reasons. Not only did he lose his first round match to Ken Doherty but when looking set for a magical 147 break, he missed the final pink and lost out on the £147,000 bonus that would have gone with it.
Masters victories
Again the following years continued to be solid if not spectacular, Stuart maintaining a place around the top 40 mark in the rankings. Things were to change in 2005/6 however as his results began to improve significantly with quarter-final runs in the 2005 Grand Prix and UK Championship. In addition he won the Masters qualifying tournament for the first time and also managed to record his second career 147 on the way.
His ranking up to 23rd, another solid season was to follow, the highlight being victory in the Masters qualifying tournament for the second successive season. Although Bingham will go down in history as being the first player to achieve this, of course it was not a ranking tournament so he remained in 23rd position for the following season.
Recent form
2007/8 was to be a stronger season for Stuart who managed to make the last 16 of a number of tournaments, including the World Championship where he won a tense first round match against six-times champion Steve Davis. Despite losing out to eventual semi-finalist Joe Perry in round two, he managed to move up two places to 21st in the rankings.
2008/9
Following his strong previous campaign he entered the 2008/9 season ranked 15th provisionally and with a real chance of breaking into that elusive top 16 for the first time. Unfortunately however, barring an impressive run in the invitational Championship League to qualify for the winner’s group, he could not find his best form and won just five ranking matches all season. As a result he could not take advantage of his opportunity and would remain ranked 21st for a second successive season.
Non-Ranking Event wins (2)
| Event | Year |
| Masters Qualifying Tournament | 2005-6 |
