Ricky Walden

D.O.B: 11 Nov 1982
Lives: Chester
Turned Pro: 2000
Ranking Tournament Victories: 1 - Roewe Shanghai Masters 2008
Last season World Snooker Tour: prize money £66,151
Highest Tournament Break: 141 - UK Tour 2000

Walden briefly climbed into the top 16 of the world rankings during the 2010/11 season, though he ended the campaign outside the elite.

His best run came at the 12BET.com World Open as he beat James McBain and Jamie Cope to reach the quarter-finals, before losing to eventual champion Neil Robertson.

Walden also got to the last 16 of the German Masters and Bank of Beijing China Open, but the season ended in disappointment as he lost his opening match in the Betfred.com World Championship, beaten 10-6 by Rory McLeod at the Crucible. "That was like a trip to the dentist, it was painful from start to finish," said Walden after the match. "I didn't enjoy one minute, it was a nightmare. Rory's such a good player but he bogs it down. I couldn't get any rhythm - I had to make breaks but I couldn't score."

The 2008 Roewe Shanghai Masters will live forever in the memory of Walden as it gave him his first ranking title.

And the talented Chester-based potter did it the hard way, dispatching snooker legends and rising stars alike on his way to the trophy.

After beating Lee Spick and Ian McCulloch to earn his place on the flight east, Walden knocked out Zhang Anda, Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson, Steve Davis and Mark Selby to set up a final clash with world No 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The Rocket was on a run of 14 consecutive wins in ranking event matches and rated a strong odds-on favourite for the first prize, but Walden played brilliantly to register one of the shocks of the season with a 10-8 victory, sealing the result with a superb break of 105.

"I'm thrilled to bits to win my first tournament," said Walden. "I hope I can go on and achieve more now. I want to get into the top 16 and win more tournaments."

Walden is a keen Liverpool fan and often visits Anfield to watch the 2005 European champions. He enjoys travelling and frequently flies to Las Vegas with his friends. He has also become an enthusiastic long distance runner and took part in the New York Marathon in 2009.