Stuart Bingham: “To come to the Crucible as a seed is an honour”
Bingham begins against Lyu Haotian on Monday (John Walton/PA Wire)
Returning as a seed this year, the Crucible is a venue that holds many special memories for Stuart Bingham.
Ballrun is set for his 16th appearance on snooker’s biggest stage, where he reigned in 2015 after an 18-15 victory over Shaun Murphy in the final.
Despite being forced to qualify last year, Bingham was two frames away from returning to the World Championship showpiece, narrowly losing 17-15 to Mark Selby in the semis.
It has been a generally modest campaign for the world number 12; a run to the World Grand Prix semi-finals representing his best performance in a ranking event.
Nevertheless, the 45-year-old will draw on all of his experience and knowhow as he targets another deep run in Sheffield.