Betfair Official Blog

888.com World Snooker Championship Betting: Betfair's Big Interview

Click here to view market

It's a second week talking to one of the stars of the snooker world. This time we caught up with the conqueror of the Nugget in this year's first round. Step forward, Stuart Bingham.

Stuart Bingham was one of the success stories in the first week of the 888.com Snooker World Championships, reaching round two for only the second time in his career after battling through against Steve Davis. Betfair found him for an exclusive chat at his Essex home, preparing for Sunday's second round against Joe Perry.

Stuart, that win must have felt so good?

Yeah definitely, although it took a day or two to sink in. After being 8-3 up, when he came back to eight all I sort of more or less thought I'd lost the match. He was playing so well and I was struggling a bit, so to then walk out of The Crucible having won it was all a bit surreal. I couldn't get my head round it for a day or so, to be honest. But having got away and digested what happened it's given me a real boost. I'm looking forward to going back to Sheffield again.

Does it still count to beat somebody who is a legend, even though his best days are gone?

Definitely. I think that's the fifth time I've played him and I'm really honoured to say that I have got a 100 per cent record. Hopefully I can take the feeling of winning into the match with Joe Perry now and start making some bigger and better breaks

You're 31 now and it's been a long road for you in the sport. It was more than ten years ago you were World Amateur Champion?

I suppose I've been a journeyman really for the last ten years but I'm proud of my career. I've had my moments, but obviously I've never quite made the breakthrough that I would have hoped for. I've had some issues off the table and things like that which maybe haven't helped, but I've always thought I've had the game and I've slowly kept at it. I'm focused on the idea now that this could be the time. I've got a chance of getting into the top 16 so I'm slowly getting there. And stringing a couple of results together at The Crucible would really help.

You've been a champion for persistence if nothing else.

That's how it is. At one stage I lost ten matches on the trot and I slipped down to something like 76 on the provisional rankings. I think that was in 2001-2, and I ended up getting it together and I think I qualified for Thailand and then for the Crucible and that got me back in to 50 odd in the world. Since then I've slowly got my game back together.

So what's kept you going all that time. You haven't earned any fortunes?

I just love the game. A lot of pros play just for money but I'm a snooker fan. I'm a sports fan really. I've always played sport in my life, squash, football, everything.

We heard you were a single figure handicap golfer?

Yeah, that's right, I play off six. I've got some mentality in me that whatever I do I want to get better and won't give it up unless I do. I want to get my handicap down to three or four this year if I can. I'm planning to have a few lessons to get my swing improved. I guess I've just got the mentality in anything that I will always get my head down and try to get better.

There are a lot of exciting young players coming through now. Does experience still count on the snooker table?

Definitely. Looking back at those ten losses I wouldn't wish that on anybody, but for me it gave me an experience that's been so valuable since. You are not going to do that again. Kids who are coming through are fearless, I suppose, like I was first of all, but you get beaten - and it's like in a boxing ring if you get a few knocks on the chin you learn to keep your guard up. It's the same sort of thing on the snooker table. You maybe learn to play percentages a bit more. When you are young you just go for everything and think you can pot everything and you can't necessarily.

Joe Perry next. Did you scout his match with Graeme Dott to see what to expect?

You can't really do that at snooker. To be honest it's only about what I do when I get to the table. In this tournament what matters is cutting out silly mistakes, silly pots you take on, or missing a black off the spot or something. You just have to keep your concentration.

Why do you come home between matches?

Mainly so I can practice on my own table, where I can do three or more hours a day. When you are at the venue you get two 30 minute slots, so you can't do enough. You do all your work back home and just keep fresh there. It's also worked out that I've had a long break between matches and you need to keep fresh. I went up there on Friday before I played on Monday, and to be honest I was getting stale. It's one of the best venues in the game, and there is stuff around in Sheffield, but you can't do much because you are there to play snooker. You try to kill time but you do get a bit bored to be honest. You just have to think of things to keep you occupied and you are better getting away and going back fresh. That's the plan, anyway and I'm hoping that come Sunday when I start again it will have worked!

Thanks for your time, and we've got a free £50 bet in aid of your favourite charity.

I've had some tremendous days out with SPARKS, who organise terrific golf days, and met some fantastic people from other sports on them, so they can be the charity. Look them up on www.sparks.org.uk. And despite John Arne Riise's own goal I still fancy Rafa Benitez to mastermind a win at Stamford Bridge, so I'll back Liverpool to win the Champions League at [7.0]. My Dad's a Manchester United fan so that will really wind him up!