You could forgive Stuart Bingham for looking a bit rusty after returning to the baize from a three-month ban – but it’s been very much business as usual so far.
His 4-2 victory against man of the moment Mark Williams at the World Grand Prix is an excellent win and a sure sign he has quickly picked up where he left off.
Although only a good start to the tournament, this should feel bittersweet for Ballrun who has come in for some pretty strong criticism after his betting irregularities were made public and cost him his place on the tour temporarily.
The best way to respond to any criticism in sport is to make actions speak louder than words and if Bingham can produce the goods this week in Preston, he’ll be pleased to hear people speaking about him for the right reasons again.
Bingham’s appearance here as a member of the top 32 on the one-year ranking list only goes to prove just how well he was playing before his ban, so much so that he was able to cling on to his place despite the lengthy layoff.
Stuart was in a rich vein of form at the time having reached the final of the Europeans Masters and securing qualification to the Shanghai Masters and International Championship in impressive fashion before being told he could not take his place in the field at the main venue.
To be omitted from competitive action could have really affected his momentum but there are no signs of that yet. He has served his time and appears to have come back more motivated than ever to pick up results. Despite losing some big earning opportunities, there is plenty still to play for this season and it looks as though he could be a dangerman.
Next up for Bingham is Anthony McGill and you would fancy him to win this match too.
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