Ricky Walden
Encyclopedia
Ricky Walden is a snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

 professional, born in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 but living in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

He is currently ranked 15th in the world. He won the 2008 Shanghai Masters
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...

, his first ranking final, having previously reached one further ranking quarter-final. He has spent four seasons in the top 48 of the rankings. His first appearance at the final stages of the World Championship came in 2009

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
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...

, Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

 and Ali Carter
Allister Carter
Allister "Ali" Carter is an English professional snooker player, who lives in Tiptree. He reached the final of the 2008 World Championship, his first major final. Although he lost heavily to Ronnie O'Sullivan, this run allowed him to reach the top 8 of the rankings for the first time...

. In 2001 he won the World Under-21 Championship.

Career

He started the 2004/2005 season ranked at #78 in the world, but climbed 30 places that year. He beat John Higgins twice that season, at the Grand Prix
2004 Grand Prix (snooker)
The 2004 Totesport Grand Prix was the 2004 edition of the Grand Prix snooker tournament, held from 2 to 10 October 2004 at the Guild Hall, Preston, England. World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan won the tournament, defeating Ian McCulloch by nine frames to five in the final. In the semi-finals,...

 and UK Championship, and reached the Quarter-Final of the China Open.

In 2005/2006
Snooker season 2005/2006
The snooker season 2005/06 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2005 and 2006. The following table outlines the results and dates for the ranking and major invitational events that took place.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

 his best run was to the last 16 in the China Open, which he achieved by beating Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...

. In 2006/2007
Snooker season 2006/2007
The snooker season 2006/2007 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2006 and 2007. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...

 he had 2 last-32 appearance including the UK Championship
2006 UK Snooker Championship
The 2006 Maplin UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament was held between 4 and 17 December 2006 in the Barbican Centre, York. It was the 30th instalment of the event and was part of the 2006/2007 season....

, where he lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

 8–9. He lost to eventual finalist Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 in qualifying for the World Championship.

He reached #36 for the 2007/2008 season
Snooker season 2007/2008
The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events...

 and the same year he reached the last 16 of the Grand Prix, beating John Parrott
John Parrott
John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times...

 in qualifying and four top-32 players in the main round-robin stage. He crashed out in the China Open to Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 and in the qualifying for the World Championship, to Mark Allen
Mark Allen (snooker player)
Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...

.

In the 2008 Shanghai Masters
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...

 he defeated Lee Spick
Lee Spick
Lee Spick is an English snooker player. He has reached the last 48 of ranking events on four occasions, twice in the World Championship and twice in the China Open.-Career:He reached the last 48 of the 2006 World Championship and the 2007 China Open...

 and Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (snooker player)
-External links:**...

 to qualify. At the venue he defeated wildcard Zhang Anda
Zhang Anda
Zhang Anda is a Chinese professional snooker player, who made his debut on the Main Tour for the 2009/2010 season. He qualified by winning the ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship....

, Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

, Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...

 (5–4, from 1–4 down), Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...

 in the quarter-finals (5–2, from 0–2 down), and Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...

 in the semi-final (6–4, from 1–4 down). He won his first ranking title by beating Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

 10–8 in the final. The rest of the season was solid rather than spectacular, but a qualifying victory over Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...

 earned him a first appearance at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....

, where he lost 6–10 to Mark Selby.

In 2008 he also won the Sangsom 6-Reds Snooker International, beating Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...

 8–3 in the final.

Walden made it to the World Championship for the second time in 2011 as a seeded player, but was beaten by qualifier Rory McLeod
Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Rory McLeod is an English professional snooker player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.-Career:...

 10–6. After the match, Walden criticised McLeod for what he considered to be a slow and 'boring' style of play, although Walden was only marginally quicker than McLeod. McLeod responded to the criticism by arguing that Walden was more responsible for the pace of the match.

Walden produced a maximum break during Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Event 10
Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Event 10
The Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Event 10 minor-ranking snooker tournament took place over 27–30 November 2011, at the World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, England....

, the second 147 of the event.

Ranking event finals: 1 (1 title)

{|
|-
| style="width:40%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"|
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#eee;"
|Legend
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (1–0)
|}

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
| style="width:250px;"|Championship
| style="width:200px;"|Opponent in the final
| style="width:100px;"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 2008
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...


| Shanghai Masters
|  
| 10–8
|}

Minor-ranking event finals: 1 (1 runner-up)

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
| style="width:250px;"|Championship
| style="width:200px;"|Opponent in the final
| style="width:100px;"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 2011
| Warsaw Classic
Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Event 6
The Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Event 6 minor-ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September–2 October 2011 in Warsaw, Poland...


|  
| 1–4
|}

External links

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