Players Championship 2022: Ricky Walden completes dramatic comeback to reach semi-final
- Sean Fisher
- 10 February 2022
After trailing 4-1 and then 5-2, Ricky Walden mounted a superb comeback to stun Mark Williams and reach the semi-finals.
A tense opening frame set up what turned out to be a thrilling match-up, with Williams taking the lead after a 69-17 win.
But the former world No.1 began to stamp his authority on the match in the second frame, doubling his lead after hitting a 103.
Walden knocked in a 60 to momentarily half the deficit, but back-to-back centuries took Williams clear at 4-1.
𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 ✅
— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) February 9, 2022
Ricky Walden recovers from 5-2 down with four consecutive frames to knock out Mark Williams in a decider and become the first man through to the Semi-Finals! #PlayersChampionship pic.twitter.com/q36RKkp10j
The 39-year-old Walden again battled back in the sixth frame with a break of 123, but Williams looked convincing again in the seventh as he moved one away from victory.
However, with nothing to lose, Walden began to find rhythm and successive half-century breaks helped him back to 5-4, and his momentum helped him through a closely-competed 10th frame to set up a decider.
The deciding frame continued to provide drama as Walden enjoyed a storming start, only to let Williams back in.
First through to the semi finals of the @CazooUK Players Championship, Ricky Walden! #CazooSeries pic.twitter.com/MIhn1zzdPC
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) February 9, 2022
However, the Welshman then agonisingly missed a red when a clearance would have seen him win by a single point.
Walden made no mistake of sinking the red, capping off a remarkable comeback.
The Englishman will now face either Yan Bingtao and Barry Hawkins in the semi-finals on Friday.
