STUART BINGHAM fought back tears as he spoke about his shock win over Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Bingham defeated the Rocket 13-10 at the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals to set up a showdown with fellow qualifier Jak Jones for a place in the final.

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Ball run last made the final in 2015, when he beat Shaun Murphy 18-15 at the Crucible.

But before his semi-final clash with Jones, Bingham cast an emotional figure as he reflected on his surprise victory.

Speaking on the BBC after the game, the 47-year-old was fighting against a shaky voice as he said: “I’ve had a little cry at the back there.

“But yeah, unbelievable. As you can hear in the voice.”

On the two frames at the end of the afternoon sessions, he said: “Yeah I was just enjoying it out there.

“I had to have a laugh to myself (for missing the pink). I’m like, ‘All you got to do is roll this to the pocket’ and with my coach Chris (thinking) hit the middle of the ball, this don’t swerve or nothing.

“[Then] I’ve gone over the top of the ball and pulled it and it’s gone near nothing.

“Without a doubt (I was thinking the worse). You’re thinking Ronnie is obviously to dish up here but he just left himself awkward on the yellow and I don’t know how I held myself together.

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“The yellow was dead weight, like all or nothing. Then the green was a tough shot, dead straight… I just fancied missing anything. I was all over the place.

“The adrenaline was pumping, I missed a the yellow and the pink and everything sort of left me.

“Then to get another chance (I thought), ‘This is it, you either win or lose here’ and I don’t know how I held myself together.”

He later added: “I was there competing with the world’s best player and I was enjoying every second of it.”

Bingham beat O’Sullivan at the same stage when he won the Worlds in 2015.

Asked about what his feeling were now compared to then, he said: “It’s harder because you know you can do it.

“It’s tough, you know what comes with it, now you know there’s going to be loads of media and obviously you need to focus but there’s another three days here in the semi-finals.”

On his next match, Bingham added: “Yeah, I’m the only one left who’s got their hands on the trophy so I’m sure there will be extra pressure.

“But Jak, fair play to him, has played really well. I remember playing him a couple years ago in Gibraltar and he hammered me 4-0 so I can’t take anything for granted.

“I’m sure it will be a great battle over the next three days.”

On his defeat O’Sullivan said: “It’s the way it goes. I am really happy. I feel like I am getting through the ball, which is more important to me.

“Not the win I would have liked. That’s snooker, that’s the way it goes. He deserved his victory. I’m pleased I’m competed. A few errors here and there. Not too bad.

“I knew it would be another difficult tournament. No one has a divine right to win any match, a lot can happen in snooker, that’s sport.”