Emotional Donaldson Shocks Bingham To Reach Uk Championship

An affectional Scott Donaldson said "I deliberation my dada was doing something" aft he came backmost from 5-0 down to hit Stuart Bingham 6-5 successful nan last information of qualifying for nan UK Championship.

Donaldson, whose begetter Hector died aged 70 connected 2 October, was messaging his woman astir driving location erstwhile he was 4-0 down against nan 2015 world champion successful Wigan.

Bingham had knocked successful breaks of 71 and 117 connected nan measurement to moving 1 framework distant from triumph and a spot successful nan main tournament.

However, Donaldson produced a stirring comeback to stun his rival arsenic nan Scotsman made breaks of 56 and 64 earlier a 110.

He past added breaks of 51, 91 and 64 to complete triumph and book a spot astatine nan UK Championship, which starts astatine nan York Barbican connected Saturday.

"I played nan Scottish Open qualifiers 2 days aft his [Hector] ceremonial - that was impossible," Donaldson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I went to Belfast for which he'd already booked his flights and edifice arsenic he was coming to watch maine [at nan Northern Ireland Open].

"That was incredibly difficult - I was conscionable successful my spot welling up. I don't cognize really I managed to get 3 frames disconnected Wu Yize [in a 4-3 defeat].

"Since past I've benignant of been OK because I cognize he would ever want maine to conscionable do my stuff.

"He loved watching maine play. In my mind, he's still location watching maine play. I conscionable don't cognize wherever he is correct now."

Donaldson added: "I don't deliberation that was me, I deliberation it was my dad. I conscionable sewage truthful overmuch bully luck astatine nan extremity [against Bingham] which was very different and I deliberation dada was doing something."