STUART Bingham feels he is in good shape to win his first ranking tournament of the season after a last-four showing at the Six Reds World Championship invitational.

The 37-year-old world number eight from Vange lost in the semi-final to Aussie Neil Robertson — who went on to lose to Mark Davis in the £40,000 final — and is now on his honeymoon in Thailand before heading on to China for the Shanghai Masters.

Bingham will take on Northamptonshire’s world number 100, Kyren Wilson, 21, on September 16 in the first round of the full-ranking event, and is confident of doing well.

“I’ve always thought, the way I play and hit the ball, Shanghai suits me, it’s very humid over there and the air-con in the stadium makes it play a little bit heavier, a bit slower,” he said.

“I hit the ball a little bit harder than most so sometimes it suits me.

“Last season I had an exceptional season, one of the best ever for me. I got to two ranking finals, won the Premier League and won two Asian tour PTCs, so for me to get better than that I’m going to have to do some.

“My game is in good shape, it’s getting better as well, it’s getting stronger again, hopefully I’ll win a ranking event and who knows from there, really.

“I’ve played Kyren Wilson a few times, he’s a bit raw and a new kid on the block but he’s a very good player, and I’ll have to be on my guard.”

Bingham told the Echo last month he felt he’s still waiting to really kick into gear this season, but now appears to be approaching his best form ahead of his campaigns in Shanghai and then at next month’s Indian Open in New Delhi.

“The aim is to try and win a ranking tournament and push on to get into the latter stages of most tournaments, really,” he said.

“My missus is flying out to Thailand and we’re going to go to Koh Samui for a week. We didn’t have the chance for a honeymoon so it’s worked out quite well.

“Then she flies home and I fly on to Shanghai for the Shanghai Masters.

“I played in everything last year. I’ve missed a few events and I’m only going to enter two out of the four Asian PTC events.

“I got married and I didn’t have much time off. The time I did have off I was getting married and having a wedding reception so I haven’t really stopped playing, in a way.

“I probably haven’t been putting in the effort I was last year, but now that’s all out the way I can get my head into gear.

“I’ve had two quarter-finals in the PTCs so the game is in good shape