STUART Bingham believes China Open opponent Ricky Walden is a player who should be fighting for a top 16 place ahead of their second round clash today.

Bingham, 41, battled back from 5-3 down to defeat Matthew Stevens on Monday and advance into the second round of the penultimate event of the snooker season.

Ranked 15 ahead of the China Open, Bingham will leapfrog Ali Carter into 14th if he defeats the 23rd ranked Walden today.

And after admitting it felt like he was playing with ‘someone else’s arm’ against Stevens, Bingham is ready for another tough encounter.

“I felt OK at points during the match against Matthew but my arm felt like it was someone else’ at other points,” said Bingham, who lives in Bowers Gifford.

“At 5-3 down I was looking at an early flight home and was thinking the worse. My timing was poor and it was a big game for me in my attempts to qualify for the Crucible.

“But something clicked and I seemed to relax and I thought ‘whatever will be, will be’.

“Matthew missed a few balls and I was able to take advantage but I felt I was always playing catch up.

“I made a big clearance to make it 3-3 from 60 points down and he had chances to beat me but I held on and I was able to get a win I badly needed.

“I don’t want to have to be losing 5-3 again before I start playing that way though.

“I can’t afford to do that against someone like Ricky.”

Walden beat Indian Aditya Mehta 6-2 in his first round match but is likely to face a tougher time of it against 2015 World Champion Bingham.

And, although Bingham has won three of their last four encounters, Walden has emerged triumphant in both of their previous meetings in China, including at the quarter-final stage of this competition two seasons ago.

And Bingham is taking nothing for granted when they meet for the right to play in the third round and reach the last 16.

“Ricky has had a few back problems in recent years and he is a tough player on the circuit,” said Bingham.

“He beat me in China in the quarter-finals not long ago but he is a top 16 player in my eyes. “I am expecting a tough game.

“If I win this match I will be above Ali Carter in the rankings ahead of the World Championships and that could be important ahead of the Crucible draw.

“There are plenty of incentives but my goal for now is to qualify and what happens after that I will have to deal with.”