England's Bingham wins maiden world title

Stuart Bingham won the 2015 World Championship final, beating Shaun Murphy 18-15 at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday to take snooker's most prestigious title for the first time in his 20-year professional career.

This all-English clash was a see-saw affair, with Bingham resuming Monday 9-8 behind, having been 3-0 and 8-4 down at various stages of Sunday's opening day in this best of 35-frame contest.

But the first-time finalist won Monday's opening session 6-2 to establish a 14-11 lead.

Bingham edged further in front at 15-12 before Murphy, world champion in 2005, fought back to level the best of 35-frame contest at 15-15.

The 38-year-old Bingham, who earlier in the tournament knocked out five-times world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, then won a marathon 64-minute frame to edge closer to the title before a break of 65 took him to within touching distance at 17-15 in front.

Bingham, from Basildon, east of London, then completed his victory in fine style with a break of 88 to become the oldest player to lift the world championship trophy since Welsh great Ray Reardon won the 1978 final aged 45.

It had seemed in the early stages as if the greater experience of Murphy, the 2005 world champion, might lead to a lopsided contest with his fellow Englishman.

But Bingham demonstrated admirable resolve on Sunday and in the process gained an unlikely new fan in tennis great Martina Navratilova, who tweeted: "Stuart Bingham rocks:)".

Bingham continued to justify Navratilova's faith Monday as he won four frames in a row to establish a 12-9 lead against Murphy, who was aiming to equal the achievement of snooker great Alex Higgins by winning a second world title a decade after his first.

Monday's opening frame saw Bingham level the match with a break of 87 and he then went ahead for the first time in the match with a contribution of 51.

Bingham then made it three frames in succession, with a break of 112, after putting himself in sight of a maximum 147 by sinking 14 reds and blacks before running out of position.  

But there was no let-down from Bingham in the next frame, where his break of 50 saw him go three in front.

Murphy, with the match threatening to run away from him, won the next two frames to cut his arrears to 13-11 before Bingham completed a 6-2 session win with a break of 57.
Source: AFP