STUART Bingham has set his sights on breaking into the world’s top eight ahead of his Essex boys showdown with Judd Trump in China today.

The new dad from Vange is currently ranked the 11th best player in the game, and now says he feels ready to consistently beat the very best at the big events.

But his first hurdle with be Romford’s Trump, as he faces the World Championship finalist at the Shanghai Masters in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

“I’d guess it will probably be an exciting match with Judd,” said Bingham.

“We have similar styles: we are both break builders, and the last time I played him he won 4-3 at a PTC event in Germany.

“I don’t think there were many breaks under 70, because we both like to go for it. But these are the matches I have to win if I’m really going to push on and make my mark this year.”

And should he triumph, it will get no easier for Bingham as he is likely to face four-time and reining world champion, John Higgins, who takes on Mark Davis in the first round.

Bingham said: “I’m just concentrating all of my efforts on Judd at the moment but, yeah, if I do get through that will be tough.

“But there is no guarantee Higgins will come through, he has not been practicing that much lately and in Davis he is facing someone who reached the final of a PTC last week.

“But this is how it is if you want to do well in this game, you will always be facing a champion or someone who is looking to break through.

“All I can do is concentrate on my own game.

“I’m guaranteed to stay in the top 16 at the cut off point in October, and that is what I wanted at the start of the season.

“And now I want to reach as many quarter finals, semis and hopefully another final because I’d like to break into the top eight this year. That is my aim now.”