Ricky Walden

Infobox Snooker player
Name = Ricky Walden


Caption =
Born = birth date and age|1982|11|11
Birthplace =
Nationality = flagicon|England English
Nickname =
Professional = 2000–
High ranking = #35
Current rank = #35
Prize money = £97,960
High break = 141 - UK Tour 2000
Ranking wins = Shanghai Masters 2008
Other wins =
World champ =

Ricky Walden is a snooker professional, born in England but living in Flintshire, Wales. At 6'4" he is tall for a snooker player, and he has a noticeably slouching postureCite web
url = http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Snooker/10228715.html
title = Ricky Walden wins with ease in Thai snooker final
publisher = "Gulfnews"
date = 2008-7-14
accessdate = 2008-07-17] .

He is currently ranked 35th in the world. He won the 2008 Shanghai Masters, his first ranking final, having previously reached one further ranking quarter-final. He has spent four seasons in the top 48 of the rankings. He is yet to appear in the final stages of the World Championships.

Early Years

He was one of the Young Players of Distinction in a scheme ran in 2000, designed to help young players develop their playing and media skills, alongside Shaun Murphy, Stephen Maguire and Allister Carter. In 2001 he was world under-21 champion [http://www.worldsnooker.com/shanghai_masters_news-6192.htm?tid=112] .

Career

He started the 2004/2005 season ranked at #78 in the world, but climbed 30 places that year. He reached the quarter-finals of the China Open, winning six matches before facing Steve Davis in the last 16. Steve was forced to pull out after suffering headaches due to hitting his head on a metal door frame earlier that day. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/solpda/ukfs_sport/hi/newsid_4396000/4396049.stm "Head injury forces Davis pull-out"] ] He also beat John Higgins twice that season, and reached the last 16 of the UK Championship.

In 2005/2006 his best run was to the last 16 in China, which he achieved by beating Stephen Maguire. In 2006/2007 he had 2 last-32 showings including the UK Championship, where he lead Ronnie O'Sullivan and only lost 9-8 after a kick while well-placed at 8-7 up. He lost to eventual finalist Mark Selby in qualifying for the World Championship.

He reached #36 for the 2007/2008 season and the same year he reached the last 16 of the Grand Prix, beating John Parrott in qualifying and four top-32 players in the main round-robin stage. He crashed out in the China Open and in the qualifying for the World Championship, to Mark Allen.

In the 2008 Shanghai Masters he deafeated Lee Spick and Ian McCulloch to qualify. At the venue he defeated wildcard Zhang Anda, Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson (5-4, from 1-4 down), Davis in the quarter-finals (5-2, from 0-2 down), and Mark Selby in the semi-final (6-4, from 1-4 down) [http://www.worldsnooker.com/shanghai_masters_news-5986.htm?tid=112] . He won his first ranking title by beating Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-8 in the final [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7653555.stm]

In 2008 he won the Sangsom 6-Reds International, beating Stuart Bingham 8-3 in the final, in a tournament with only six reds, compared to the normal 15. Cite web
url = http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Snooker/10228715.html
title = Ricky Walden wins with ease in Thai snooker final
publisher = "Gulfnews"
date = 2008-7-14
accessdate = 2008-07-17]

External links

* [http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Players/Global_Europe/Global_England/eng_ricky_walden.htm Profile on the Global Snooker Centre]
* [http://www.worldsnooker.com/players_head_to_head-8989.htm Profile on World Snooker]

References