Bing Beats Ding In Final Round
Stuart Bingham beat Ding Junhui four-frames-to-two in the final qualifying round of the sixth Players Tour Championship event in Sheffield.
The world number 25 followed wins against Jamie O’Neill (4-3) and Joe Jogia (4-0) to set up the meeting with the Chinese number one who won Event 5 last weekend.
Ding took the opening frame with a break of 85 before the Essex-man hit back with a 74.
A scrappy third gave Bingham a 2-1 lead before the world number eight levelled with a superb 135.
Bingham then regained the lead with a break of 80 and a little over ten minutes later had sealed a late night victory that will improve his position on the PTC Order of Merit.
On Sunday, he will face Daniel Wells for a quarter-final place after the Welsh youngster recorded wins against Matthew Day (4-0), number one seed, Barry Pinches (4-3) before completing a four-frames-to-one Jimmy Michie with a 132 break in the fifth frame.
Wells lay in 20th position on the PTC Order of Merit at the start of the tournament, with the top 24-ranked players at the end of the 12-event series gain automatic qualification into the Tour finals in March.
Martin consolidated his growing reputation as the most improved player on Tour dropping just two frames. Currently lying in 29th place on the Order of Merit, Pinner’s Gould beat Mitchell Mann (4-0), James McGouran (4-1) and Ricky Walden (4-1).
In Sunday’s last 16, he will face Scot, Anthony McGill after the teenager reached his third final day with wins against Allan Taylor (4-1), Chen Zhe (4-1) and Ian Burns (4-2).
There was a welcome return to form for Ian McCulloch who made it through to the final day for the first time in a PTC event.
The former world number 16, overcame Ben Harrison (4-0), Lasse Munstermann (4-0) and Liu Chuang (4-3) and will face another seasoned campaigner, Andy Hicks.
Marcus Campbell and 2006 world champion, Graeme Dott set up an all-Scottish last 16 match.
Campbell beat Patrick Wallace (4-2), Stephen Lee (4-1) and Peter Lines (4-0) while Dott survived deciding frames against Mark King and Joe Perry before beating number four seed Judd Trump four-frames-to-one.
Andy Hicks is in line for the highest break with a 137 in his opening match against Charlie Walters before adding two more centuries in beating his On Q Promotions stable mate, Mark Davis in round two.
