Ricky Walden showed why he is ranked No.8 as he turned back a two-frame deficit for a 4-3 win to end the dream run of Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and enter the final of the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament here on Saturday.
In a best-of-nine final to be played later on Saturday, the 32-year-old Walden from Chester, England, will take on Welsh sensation Michael White, who earlier beat his idol, double World Champion and compatriot Mark Williams 4-2.
It was Walden's experience and solid play that eventually tamed the highly talented Un-Nooh, who had created a buzz after putting out World No.4 and defending champion Ding Junhui in the first round.
Walden, while underling the fact that snooker was not just about potting balls but also controlled safety play, won a dramatic and high quality match that 29-year-old Un-Nooh, ranked No.61, seemingly had under control when he led 3-0 on breaks of 78, 62 and 68.
However, the more experienced Walden, in his 15th season on the pro circuit, responded well by taking the next three frames with a beautifully constructed break of 81 in the fourth to level the scores 3-3.
The decisive moment came at the business end of the seventh when Walden extracted 26 points after laying a brilliant snooker on the last red when trailing 42-47. A tense Un-Nooh fouled no fewer than six times to concede 26 points as he tried to make contact on the red sitting tight on the bottom cushion and the cue ball close to black behind the spot.
The Thai finally succeeded on his seventh attempt, coming off one cushion, but Walden cleared the table to black to close the match and set up a title clash with White against whom the Englishman has beaten twice in as many meetings.
For one so young though in his eighth season on the pro circuit, White, ranked 22, displayed remarkable composure and character under pressure, especially after losing the first frame.
"The first frame was scrappy and I made lot of mistakes but the 126 in the second was just what I needed," said White, who as per his own admission has turned away from youthful temptations to lead a more disciplined life which in turn has helped him improve his game.
In contrast, Williams, a boxer turned snooker player, seemed to be in poor form and looked half the player he is as the 39-year-old son of a miner just fell off the edge.
Though Williams rallied by taking the tight fifth frame on the colours, White came roaring back with a break of 87 to clinch the match in the sixth.
"Obviously, I am quite excited reaching my first ranking tournament final. I should now try not to get too excited. I have to play a final tonight," said White after scoring his third win in as many meetings against Williams, who has never quite attained the heights that saw him win two World Championships in 2000 and 2003.
Semifinal results: Michael White (Wales) bt Mark Williams (Wales) 4-2: 41-65, 126 (126)-07, 66-23, 80-40, 39-68 (55), 109 (87)-04; Ricky Walden (England) bt Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Thailand) 4-3: 0-78 (78), 53 (53)-68 (62), 0-72 (68), 81(81)-0, 73-36, 78-0 (78), 91-47.
