Stuart Bingham: Crowned Premier League champion after beating Judd Trump
Stuart Bingham was crowned Premier League snooker champion after beating world number one Judd Trump 7-2 in Sunday's final.
Bingham, who was making his first appearance in the tournament this season, showed no nerves as he dominated Trump to secure a deserved success in Grimsby.The Essex cueman made six breaks over 50 and one century to emerge victorious as Trump struggled to get going.The left-hander did take the opening frame of the evening with a break of 83, but Bingham hit straight back and levelled with an effort of 82 which started with a superb long-range swerve-shot around the green in baulk to pot the opening red.He only missed out on a century when he failed with the fourth last red to the centre pocket, but he duly obliged in the next with a contribution of 100 exactly giving him a 2-1 lead.In the fourth, a Bingham break of 31 came to an end after a poor positional shot, but he returned to add a further 32 which left Trump needing a snooker and the left-hander was finally forced to concede after going in off the final red.Commanding leadBingham was in first in the next with a break of 55 and, after Trump had let him back in after missing a fine cut on the black, he followed up with contributions of eight and then 53 to pull into a commanding 4-1 lead.After a scrappy start to frame six, Bingham again got on top and a solid break of 61 was more than good enough to see him extend his advantage.Trump stopped the rot in fine style in the next as he compiled a rapid 101, but Bingham was quickly back in the groove and moved to within one of victory as he dominated frame eight with breaks of 40 and then a decisive 71.Frame nine proved another scrappy affair and it eventually went down to the final black, but having missed with a pot Trump left it on to the middle pocket and Bingham calmly took the opportunity to seal victory."I'm over the moon, it just means so much to me," a delighted Bingham told Sky Sports. "It's unbelievable to pick up this trophy, it just means the world."Read more https://www1.skysports.com/snooker/news/12243/8282895/