STUART Bingham showed a return to something like his best form with a 4-0 demolition of Craig Steadman to set up a last 16 meeting with Aussie Neil Roberston at the Welsh Open today.

The world number 10, from Vange, never looked in trouble against world number 82 Steadman, from Bolton.

The Premier League champion looked sharp as he opened with an 82 then came from 63-0 down to win the second frame.

A superb 127 total clearance put him 3-0 up and he secured victory in a scrappy fourth.

Bingham tweeted afterwards: “A good win this morning. Played well. Got Neil Robertson tomorrow, don’t know what time yet. Cheers for the messages peeps.”

Robertson, the world’s number three, booked his place in the last 16 with a comfortable 4-1 win over Ian Burns.

The 2010 world champion won the Welsh Open in 2007 and was one of the pre-tournament favourites.

He reached the venue in Newport with a 4-3 win over Duane Jones in the qualifiers.

Bingham beat Matt Selt 4-2 in qualifying at the event at which a new structure saw the top 16 entering at the last 64 stage and required to play one qualifying match at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

Bingham said he wanted to put last month’s disappointing 5-1 German Masters defeat to Andrew Higginson behind him and he did that in some style yesterday.

A deep run at the tournament in Wales, which carries a top prize of £50,000, could see Bingham move into a coveted top eight spot.

And that defeat to world 29 Higginson in Berlin was softened with news of his continued good form as he came from 2-1 down to beat Michael Wasley 4-2 and earn a last 16 meeting with with Judd Trump or Dominic Dale.