PRACTICE made perfect for Stuart Bingham as he crushed Ricky Walden 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Coral UK Championship.

Frustrated and feeling “doom and gloom” after he scraped past Joel Walker in a final frame decider in his last match, the Basildon potter was rejuvenated in his last 16 clash at the York Barbican.

Opening with breaks of 73 and 67, Bingham kept the pressure on Walden throughout, who missed too many simple pots in a performance he branded one of his worst as a professional.

Bingham made the last four in the Minster city 12 months ago - narrowly failing to recover from 8-3 down in a 9-8 defeat to Neil Robertson.

He could get a chance for revenge should the Australian get past Graeme Dott this evening but the 38-year-old says he will still need to improve if he is to have a shot of lifting one of the game’s major trophies on Sunday night.

“I was on the practice table even just before I went out,” Bingham said of the work he put in after his disappointing display against Walker.

“I just wasn’t happy with the way I was hitting the ball but, as soon as I got out there, I just relaxed and took my chances.

“I think it was one of those days for Ricky. He potted some good balls and was landing on nothing but, any time you beat him, it is a good win.”

Bingham added: “I still need to improve. Even though I won 6-0, there is room for improvement. I have got a day off and I will get on the practice table.

“I am just keeping my arm in. I wasn’t happy (against Walker) and didn’t take any positives - even though I should have.

“I went out for a meal and I was a bit doom and gloom about it. I had a chat with my coach, Steve Feeney, and he got me in a good frame of mind before I went out.

“This is where you want to be - the quarter-finals of any tournament and especially the UK. It’s either Neil or Graeme Dott now. It would be nice to get one over on Neil from last year but Graeme is there on merit and is a class act. Whoever I play it will be really tough.”

Walden, who admitted he would need a “few pints” to get over the defeat said: “I was pretty terrible to be fair. It was probably the worst performance I have had as a pro - one of the most embarrassing. I am a little bit sore after that.

“I didn’t feel I got into the game in the first few frames. The table conditions were hitting me. The cushions were bouncing strongly and I had a few kicks in the balls.

“I didn’t settle at all. My technique didn’t feel too great out there. Stuart kept the pressure on and won comfortably in the end.”

He added: “Trying to find your technique out there under pressure is hard. It was pretty demoralising. But that’s the game.

“I will get over it. That’s the way the game goes sometimes. I was playing well. I have had a great season so far. I didn’t expect that performance to come out.

“I had been building for the tournament so to play like that is a bit of a head scratcher.”