Stuart Bingham won 18-15 over Shaun Murphy in one of the best World finals in recent years.
“Years of blood, sweat and tears” as Stuart put it have led him to becoming the third oldest World Champion in one of the more unlikely sporting fairy tales. In Eight previous Crucible appearances Stuart had only won five matches over a period of fifteen years until this year’s inspired run to the title.
Only two years ago Stuart reached the quarter final for the first time, where he was overawed while playing an inform O’Sullivan – eventually losing 13-4. This was the new and improved Stuart, he was regularly reaching Quarter Finals but he wasn't feared by the regular tournament winners. However six months later at the UK Championship, he gained revenge and a first high profile victory over O’Sullivan at a major UK event – a crucial turning point in his development. Subsequently he was able to win his 2nd major ranking event in Shanghai and establish himself as one of the top 10 ranked players.
Stuart still came into this event as a 50/1 outsider and he had a relatively quiet start to the tournament, while feeling under the weather he got through against Robbie Williams in round one before putting an under par Graeme Dott away with relative ease. It wasn't until the quarter finals that people started to take notice, a rematch with O’Sullivan.
Although there were question marks over Ronnie's form in this year’s tournament you still have to have the bottle and game to defeat him on the sport’s biggest stage. Stuarts five frames in a row from 8-9 were inspired. It was his semi final victory over Judd Trump that caught my attention though, over three days he stuck with the highly fancied Trump and never lost a mini session. Even when Trump came flying back to take the match to a deciding frame he held his nerve and played a beautiful plant to award himself the opportunity to clinch the match.
Into his maiden Crucible final he was once again the underdog. Shaun Murphy was in his third final in 11 years and had looked impressive in defeating – Robin Hull, Joe Perry, Anthony McGill & Barry Hawkins on route to the final. Murphy had had almost all of Saturday off, while Stuart had to play the maximum 17 frames so he had to stick with Murphy on Day one of the final. Trailing 3-0 and 8-4 he managed to end the day only 9-8 behind and much like Selby last year it felt like Stuart had won the mental battle of day one.
In the crucial third session a strong start from Stuart led him to a 6-2 session victory and a 14-11 lead going into the final session. In recent times only John Higgins has overturned a deficit going into the final session of a World Final – against Judd Trump in 2011.
Murphy had the better of the last session and leveled the match at 15-15 before the third longest frame in Crucible history at 63 minutes. It was an enthralling hour of snooker and as is so often the case with long frames it proved to be critical. Stuart took it and from there the fight looked to have been knocked out of Shaun a little as he missed a few long balls by a large margin in the subsequent two frames and Stuart cleared the balls to win his maiden World Title.
Now up to a career high ranking of two and having achieved a life’s ambition it will be interesting to see how Stuart copes next year with a higher level of expectation. Saying that I’m sure he wouldn't care if he never won the title again, he has won the World Title and completed one of Snooker’s greatest fairy tale stories, his name is on the famous old trophy and nobody can take that away from him.
“Years of blood, sweat and tears” as Stuart put it have led him to becoming the third oldest World Champion in one of the more unlikely sporting fairy tales. In Eight previous Crucible appearances Stuart had only won five matches over a period of fifteen years until this year’s inspired run to the title.
Only two years ago Stuart reached the quarter final for the first time, where he was overawed while playing an inform O’Sullivan – eventually losing 13-4. This was the new and improved Stuart, he was regularly reaching Quarter Finals but he wasn't feared by the regular tournament winners. However six months later at the UK Championship, he gained revenge and a first high profile victory over O’Sullivan at a major UK event – a crucial turning point in his development. Subsequently he was able to win his 2nd major ranking event in Shanghai and establish himself as one of the top 10 ranked players.
Stuart still came into this event as a 50/1 outsider and he had a relatively quiet start to the tournament, while feeling under the weather he got through against Robbie Williams in round one before putting an under par Graeme Dott away with relative ease. It wasn't until the quarter finals that people started to take notice, a rematch with O’Sullivan.
Although there were question marks over Ronnie's form in this year’s tournament you still have to have the bottle and game to defeat him on the sport’s biggest stage. Stuarts five frames in a row from 8-9 were inspired. It was his semi final victory over Judd Trump that caught my attention though, over three days he stuck with the highly fancied Trump and never lost a mini session. Even when Trump came flying back to take the match to a deciding frame he held his nerve and played a beautiful plant to award himself the opportunity to clinch the match.
Into his maiden Crucible final he was once again the underdog. Shaun Murphy was in his third final in 11 years and had looked impressive in defeating – Robin Hull, Joe Perry, Anthony McGill & Barry Hawkins on route to the final. Murphy had had almost all of Saturday off, while Stuart had to play the maximum 17 frames so he had to stick with Murphy on Day one of the final. Trailing 3-0 and 8-4 he managed to end the day only 9-8 behind and much like Selby last year it felt like Stuart had won the mental battle of day one.
In the crucial third session a strong start from Stuart led him to a 6-2 session victory and a 14-11 lead going into the final session. In recent times only John Higgins has overturned a deficit going into the final session of a World Final – against Judd Trump in 2011.
Murphy had the better of the last session and leveled the match at 15-15 before the third longest frame in Crucible history at 63 minutes. It was an enthralling hour of snooker and as is so often the case with long frames it proved to be critical. Stuart took it and from there the fight looked to have been knocked out of Shaun a little as he missed a few long balls by a large margin in the subsequent two frames and Stuart cleared the balls to win his maiden World Title.
Now up to a career high ranking of two and having achieved a life’s ambition it will be interesting to see how Stuart copes next year with a higher level of expectation. Saying that I’m sure he wouldn't care if he never won the title again, he has won the World Title and completed one of Snooker’s greatest fairy tale stories, his name is on the famous old trophy and nobody can take that away from him.