Scottish Open snooker: Stuart Bingham bids for World Grand Prix spot as Kyren Wilson joins Luca Brecel in missing out

Former world and Masters champion Stuart Bingham has catapulted himself into the mix to qualify for the prestigious World Grand Prix next month (January 15-21) by producing his best form of the season at the Scottish Open.

World No. 25 Bingham compiled breaks of 81 and 128 in a 4-2 win over Aaron Hill in the third round on Thursday afternoon before continuing his heavy-scoring streak with 119, 68, 65 and 89 in a 4-0 whitewash of International champion Zhang Anda in the last 16 later in the day.

He has moved to the brink of a spot in the World Grand Prix – involving the top 32 on the one-year list after the Scottish Open – and knows victory over Zhou Yuelong in the quarter-finals on Friday in Edinburgh will guarantee him £17,500 for reaching the semi-finals and a place inside the top 32 ahead of the cut-off point.

Bingham lost 10-9 to Shaun Murphy in the 2016 World Grand Prix final, but has not gone beyond the last 32 of a ranking this season until the Scottish Open.

Wilson made breaks of 87, 88, 80 and 89 in a 4-1 win over Rory Thor knowing a run to the final would guarantee him a place in the World Grand Prix with the winner claiming £80,000 and £35,000 for the runner-up.

Meanwhile, world No. 9 Kyren Wilson and former Crucible semi-finalist Anthony McGill have joined world champion Luca Brecel in missing out on a spot at the World Grand Prix.

Wilson lost the final four frames in a 4-2 defeat to Wakelin in the last 16 on Thursday night, while Sandersom Lam ran out a 4-1 winner over McGill to leave himself one win away from muscling in on the top 32 before his quarter-final meeting with Noppon Saengkham.

Brecel’s shock 4-2 defeat to Martin O’Donnell in the last 32 on Wednesday leaves him outside the top 32 cut-off point.

Masters holder Judd Trump and new UK champion Ronnie O’Sullivan are set to be seeded one and two for the first ranking event of 2024.

• Zhou Yuelong v Stuart Bingham, 12pm
• Gary Wilson v Chris Wakelin, 2pm
• Sanderson Lam v Noppon Saengkham, 7pm
• John Higgins v Tom Ford, 7pm

Top 32 qualify for World Grand Prix, players in bold still in Scottish Open

• 1. Judd Trump 406,000
• 2. Ronnie O’Sullivan 306,500
• 3. Zhang Anda 260,500
• 4. Mark Williams 173,000
• 5. Barry Hawkins 159,500
• 6. Ding Junhui 150,000
• 7. Tom Ford 139,500
• 8. Ali Carter 117,000
• 9. Mark Selby 113,500
• 10. Hossein Vafaei 89,000
• 11. Mark Allen 88,500
• 12. John Higgins 82,500
• 13. Lyu Haotian 79,500
• 14. Chris Wakelin 79,000
• 15. Zhou Yuelong 74,500
• 16. Noppon Saengkham 65,000
• 17. Stephen Maguire 60,000
• 18. Jack Lisowski 59,500
• 19. Matthew Selt 58,000
• 20. Shaun Murphy 56,500
• 21. Xiao Guodong 56,500
• 22. David Gilbert 53,000
• 23. Yuan Sijun 50,500
• 24. Wu Yize 50,000
• 25. Jordan Brown 49,500
• 26. Ricky Walden 48,000
• 27. Cao Yupeng 48,000
• 28. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 45,000
• 29. Dominic Dale 44,000
• 30. Pang Junxu 43,500
• 31. Jamie Jones 42,000
• 32. Si Jiahui 41,500
• – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
• 36. Stuart Bingham 39,500
• 41. Sanderson Lam 38,000
• 46. Gary Wilson 35,000