Bingham progresses with comfortable win over Gilbert

Stuart Bingham needs to reach at least the semi-finals at the Crucible to retain his place in the world top 16

Stuart Bingham moved into the second round of the World Championship with a comfortable 10-4 win over David Gilbert in Sheffield.

However, the 2015 world champion then took control, making breaks of 54, 55, 59 and 98 to reel off four frames in a row to seal victory.

Bingham will play Mark Allen or Fan Zhengyi in the second round.

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The result maintained the 46-year-old's remarkable record of having won all 13 matches against world number 22 Gilbert.

"I was nervy this morning. Once I took the second frame that settled me down," said Bingham.

"I went to the toilet, had a talk to myself and won the last three frames with a break over 50 in each. I walked through into the arena and the World Championship trophy was there.

"I told myself that was why I am here and to get myself playing. That helped me. The downfall is trying to keep that distance over your opponent when you are ahead.

"You can try too much to protect a lead. I've done that in the past and learned from it."

Sunday's other early match saw three-time UK Championship winner Ding Junhui edge to a 5-4 lead over Iran's Hossein Vafaei.

China's Ding, 36, who lost 18-14 to Mark Selby in his only Crucible final in 2016, made three half-centuries and a superb 134 to edge a hard-fought encounter against Vafaei, who made three half-centuries of his own, including an 87 in the final frame of the session.

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