The fate of current World Champion Stuart Bingham

As we all know no player has successfully defended their maiden title.
Can Stuart Bingham be the first or will he crash and burn at the first hurdle.

It is hard to say. I wonder if he is aware of all the doubt and criticism he's still getting after winning the title in the impressive manner he did. General doubt that he could win/being the underdog seemed to fire him up last year. He could very easily succumb to pressure and go out to Ali Carter first round but if he considers that Ali has reached two finals himself and as far as I know has a very good recent record against him he might get more fired up for it, and I think if he gets through the first round he's certainly in with a good chance against likely opponent Stephen Maguire. But he'll probably have a tough quarter final then. So I dunno but I'll go for reaching QF.

I think I put him down for Quarter Finals in another thread, might have been 2nd round.

I never really like to think of seeing a Defending Champion go out in the first round. If he goes out playing well that's okay, but i'd hate for him to have an absolute howler. It depends on how he handles the added pressure of being Champion, I suppose.

I've gone for QF
My feeling is he's going to be very average neither excellent nor embarrassingly bad.

In most circumstances I'd want the World Champion to advance, but he's playing Carter (who I've supported since I started watching 2008) so I hope he goes out first round. That said I think he could reach the quarters.

Difficult to say but I do think Carter will beat Bingham tomorrow. I think Carter or Ding would have been the two players any seed would have desperately wanted to avoid - (I'd dare say it's the closest thing to playing an unseeded top 16 player) - especially the World Champion with the pressure and expectation of being first one up on Saturday morning. With a relatively straight forward draw - which can prove tricky at the Crucible Theatre a defending champion gives an opportunity to get settled in. - Facing a two time finalist who's more than capable of putting on a good run (and remember hasn't lost in the last 32 of a World Championship since 2006 is a different matter.

If he does get through tomorrow I'd reckon he's certainly got a chance of the quarter-finals - where John Higgins may prove a step too far. Few Crucible champions have ever got to the one table in their first defence, so that would be a fantastic achievement.

Carter will beat him

And before Blaster asks no Carter is not a favourite of mine

If he beats Carter I can see him reaching the semis

So 4 of us were correct in being pessimistic.
Bingham did go out in Round 1.
By taking the match to a decider he does become the best first round loser.
Neil Robertson won 8 frames, Graeme Dott 7, Dennis Taylor 6 and Steve Davis just the one.

Shame about Stuart Bingham. His win last year was a dream come true. All credit to Ali Carter for hanging in and not giving up. It was a great match and Bingham tried his best but another first time winner goes out!

Shame Stuart went out because I really can't see Carter going that much further. All too much going on for Bingham this year. I think next year we'll see him winning titles again. Last year's performance especially in the semi and final was truly one of the great WC performances. Anyone whoi said it was a fluke doesn't know snooker.