“Ryan is going to be a top player for many years to come”
John Higgins
Introduction
“Good things come to those that wait”, a saying that rings true with the Welsh snooker player, Ryan Day. After a period in the wilderness, Ryan won the snooker lottery by weaving his way through a barrage of matches to defeat Mark Selby in the final of the Snooker Shootout. This much appreciated title, has been a springboard for many of the players that have claimed it, coming not only with a £50,000 prize cheque but also the right to play in the Champion of Champions tournament. A win that catapulted the Welshman from 59th to tenth on the one-year standings which are based on performance from this season’s rankings events. This now takes his season’s prize money to £69,000.
Ryan is a prolific break builder, having compiled more than 350 century breaks during his career. A three times World Championship quarter-finalist and a former top six player, Day had won three ranking tournaments, 2017 Riga Masters, 2018 Gibraltar Open and most recently, the 2021 Shootout.
Career
Born 1980 in Pontycymer, Bridgend, Ryan Day won the Welsh Amateur Championship in 1998, beating Ron Jones in the final 8-4. Turning professional in 1999, Ryan was named as the Young Player of Distinction in the 2000-2001 season by the WPBSA. His first professional title came in the non-ranking Benson and Hedges Championship in 2001 where he defeated Scotland’s Hugh Abernethy 9-5. This win assured him a qualification for the 2002 Masters. A tournament where he beat Dave Harold before losing to Stephen Hendry 0-6.
This was a good season for the Welshman, as shortly after the Masters, he was named WPBSA Newcomer of the Year in 2002. However this success was marred by a tinge of tragedy when Day started to suffer from liver problems in 2003 which deeply impacted on his results. Thankfully this was short-lived and in 2004 Ryan came back to good health and better form. This was proven in his qualifying for the 2004 World Championship. A tournament that was bitter -sweet for him as in his match against John Higgins, he led 9-7, becoming the first player to score three centuries in their first appearance at the Crucible. However in the 17th frame, he missed a crucial pink. A pink that would have left the Scotsman requiring a snooker. This miss effectively lost him the match as Higgins won not only this frame but also the next two to win the match.
Day’s career from then on, were dotted with highs and lows. Although a steady player with plenty of quarter-final appearances, he did make quite a few finals, sadly on the losing end. These included being runner-up in the 2007 Malta Cup and Shanghai Masters and the 2008 Grand Prix. His best season however, would have to be between 2017-18 when he not only beat Stephen Maguire 5-2 to claim the Riga Masters but also won two consecutive titles, the 2018 Gibraltar Open and Romanian Masters.
From then on, Ryan’s form has dramatically dipped, failing to cut deep into tournaments. So the Shootout couldn’t have come at a better time. Ridiculed by some, for not being a serious tournament, the fact remains that this hybrid of snooker carries valuable ranking points, prize money and the chance to reset your career. Day on paper had a chance in this tournament but with the fast pace of the event, it was almost impossible to predict a winner, let alone Ryan winning. So his victory against Mark Selby in the final, was a pleasant surprise. A win that should be a massive confidence booster and play out in forthcoming tournaments left in the season, namely the Welsh Open, Gibraltar Open and the World Championship.
Summary
Ryan Day has always been a formidable player, coming from a long line of Welsh players that have graced snooker’s stage. This former number six player, is as his stage name describes him, ‘dynamite’, someone who has racked up 388 centuries and two 147 breaks. Day will bounce back, he is far too good a player not to and the Shootout is the ignition to this forthcoming success.
