Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter have been playing each other for the best part of 30 years and are ready to bring their old rivalry to a climax in the final of the Masters.
The two Essex natives have been battling on the baize since they were teenagers in junior tournaments in their local area and have risen together to the elite of snooker.
The pair have continued their long competitive history through their lengthy professional careers and they are now locked level at 8-8 in victories in the pro ranks.
The star have aligned to bring them together in north London, not too far from their home country, as they compete for the Paul Hunter Trophy and the £250,000 on Sunday.
Ballrun and the Captain get on well and their rivalry is purely based on wanting to out-do each other on the baize, but it still adds an extra sprinkling of spice to the Alexandra Palace melting pot.
‘We’ve been playing since junior tournaments at 15, 16-years-old in Essex county,’ Bingham said on his history with Carter. ‘We practiced at the same club for a few years, there’s always been that rivalry.
‘I remember winning the world amateur and that probably put Ali out of joint a bit but then he got to the top 16 way before me so it evened itself out.
‘To play him in a major final is going to be fantastic.’
Routes to the Masters final
Stuart Bingham
SF: 6-2 David Gilbert
QF: 6-4 Kyren Wilson
Rd 1: 6-2 Mark Williams
Ali Carter
SF: 6-3 Shaun Murphy
QF: 6-3 John Higgins
Rd 1: 6-4 Mark Selby
Carter was the one to bring up their history first, after winning the earlier semi-final, before he knew it would be Bingham he would meet the following day.
‘There’s a great rivalry between me and Stuart, we come from the same part of the world,’ explained the Captain.
They first met as schoolboys nearly 30 years ago and first met as professionals nearly 18 years ago, when Bingham edged out Carter at the 2002 Thailand Masters.
The Essex cuemen have played each other in the World Championship, UK Championship and in the Masters, albeit the old wildcard round, which Carter took by the odd frame in 2007.
Whether it is because they know each other so well or are just perfectly matched, but contests between Bingham and Carter regularly go the distance.
Their 2006 UK Championship match finished 9-8 to Ballrun, their World Championship meeting ended 10-9 to Carter in 2016, however, things have swung in the favour of Bingham in recent years.
The 43-year-old has won the last five meetings between the two, with a couple of comfortable victories in there, at the Welsh Open and International Championship.
This may well be why Bingham is the marginal betting favourite going into this one, with 40-year-old Carter going into his fourth straight match this week as the underdog.
‘I’m just going to go about my business, keep the same things going and hopefully it will be fate,’ said Carter.
‘I’ve beat [Mark] Selby, [John] Higgins and [Shaun] Murphy, they don’t come any tougher than those three. I was second favourite in all my matches and I’ve come out the right side of them.’
MORE: Stuart Bingham sets up Masters final with Ali Carter by brushing aside David Gilbert
MORE: The Masters is mine to lose, says Ali Carter after booking his spot in the final
