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Lee Walker

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Lee Walker
Walker at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic
Born (1976-02-11) 11 February 1976 (age 48)
Rhyl, Wales
Sport country Wales
Professional1994–2006, 2007/2008, 2014–2022
Highest ranking42 (2000/2001)
Best ranking finishSemi-final (x1)

Lee Walker (born 11 February 1976) is a Welsh former professional snooker player and former World Seniors Champion. He is an official WPBSA coach[1] and is the long-term coach of Mark Williams.

Career

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After turning professional in 1994 at the age of 18, Walker reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 1997, with victories over Dave Harold 10–7 and Alan McManus 13–10, before he lost 13–8 to Alain Robidoux. This was the first time he had reached the latter stages of a ranking tournament, and he also reached the last 16 of the same tournament in 2004 with a 10–7 win over Stephen Lee before losing 13–5 to David Gray. He dropped off the Main Tour after the 2005–2006 season, but returned a year later after a strong campaign on the Pontin's International Open Series, from which the top 8 finishers gain Main Tour places. However he dropped off again at the end of the season.

Walker did however return to the tour in 2014 as he won a 2-year tour card by reaching the semi-final stage of the second event of the 2014 Q School.

2016/2017 season

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In 2016–17, he had one of his most impressive seasons to date, the highlight being his run in his home tournament, the Welsh Open. He defeated Rhys Clark, and former world champions Neil Robertson and Graeme Dott before losing in the fourth round to Zhou Yuelong.[2]

2017/2018 season

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In the 2017–18 season, Walker had his best run in a ranking event to date, reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 Gibraltar Open where he was defeated 4–2 by eventual runner-up Cao Yupeng.[3]

2021/2022 season

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Walker won the 2022 World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre. He recovered from 0–3 down to defeat the defending champion David Lilley in the semi-finals, and then came from 1–3 and 2–4 behind to defeat three-time champion Jimmy White 5–4 in the final. Walker became the 11th different winner of the World Seniors Championship.[4]

2022/2023 season

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Walker chose not to enter any tournament in the season, except the invitiational Champion of Champions. After losing his first round match against Mark Selby, he announced that he had already retired from all activities on the main tour, due to business and coaching obligations.

Performance and rankings timeline

[edit]
Tournament 1994/
95 		1995/
96 		1996/
97 		1997/
98 		1998/
99 		1999/
00 		2000/
01 		2001/
02 		2002/
03 		2003/
04 		2004/
05 		2005/
06 		2007/
08 		2012/
13 		2014/
15 		2015/
16 		2016/
17 		2017/
18 		2018/
19 		2019/
20 		2020/
21 		2021/
22 		2022/
23
Ranking[5][nb 1] [nb 2] 280 189 79 50 46 42 58 76 81 59 58 [nb 2] [nb 3] [nb 2] 83 [nb 4] 69 [nb 5] 80 [nb 6] 85 [nb 3]
Ranking tournaments
Championship League Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event RR RR A
European Masters[nb 7] LQ LQ LQ NH 1R Not Held LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ NR Not Held LQ LQ 1R LQ 1R LQ A
British Open LQ LQ LQ 1R 1R 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ Tournament Not Held 3R A
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 2R 1R 2R 1R 1R 1R A
UK Championship LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R 3R LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ A 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R WD A
Scottish Open[nb 8] LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ Not Held MR Not Held 1R 1R 2R 1R 2R 1R A
English Open Tournament Not Held 2R 1R 2R QF 1R LQ A
World Grand Prix Tournament Not Held NR DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
Shoot Out Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R A
German Masters[nb 9] NH LQ LQ 1R NR Tournament Not Held A LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ A
Welsh Open LQ LQ LQ LQ 3R LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ A 2R 1R 4R 1R 1R 1R 1R LQ A
Players Championship[nb 10] Tournament Not Held DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
Tour Championship Tournament Not Held DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
World Championship LQ LQ QF 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 2R LQ LQ LQ A LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ A
Non-ranking tournaments
Champion of Champions Tournament Not Held A A A A A A A A 1R
The Masters LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ A A LQ A A A A A A A A A A
Championship League Tournament Not Held A A A A A A A RR A A A
Six-red World Championship Tournament Not Held 2R A A A A A A Not Held A
World Seniors Championship Tournament Not Held A LQ A A A NH A 1R W 1R
Former ranking tournaments
Dubai Classic[nb 11] LQ LQ LQ Tournament Not Held
Malta Grand Prix Non-Ranking Event LQ NR Tournament Not Held
Thailand Masters[nb 12] LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R NR Not Held NR Tournament Not Held
Irish Masters Non-Ranking Event LQ 1R LQ NH Tournament Not Held
Northern Ireland Trophy Tournament Not Held NR 1R Tournament Not Held
Wuxi Classic[nb 13] Tournament Not Held A LQ Tournament Not Held
Australian Goldfields Open[nb 14] Non-Ranking Tournament Not Held A LQ LQ Tournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters Tournament Not Held LQ A LQ LQ LQ 1R Non-Ranking Not Held
Paul Hunter Classic[nb 15] Tournament Not Held Pro-am Event Minor-Ranking 3R 1R QF NR Not Held
Indian Open Tournament Not Held LQ NH LQ LQ 1R Tournament Not Held
China Open[nb 16] Not Held NR LQ LQ LQ LQ Not Held LQ LQ WD A LQ 2R LQ 1R LQ Tournament Not Held
Riga Masters[nb 17] Tournament Not Held MR 1R 1R 1R 1R Not Held
International Championship Tournament Not Held A LQ 2R 1R 1R LQ LQ Not Held
China Championship Tournament Not Held NR LQ LQ LQ Not Held
World Open[nb 18] LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 3R 1R 2R LQ A Not Held 1R 3R 1R LQ Not Held
WST Pro Series Tournament Not Held RR Not Held
Turkish Masters Tournament Not Held LQ NH
Gibraltar Open Tournament Not Held MR 3R SF 1R 2R 1R 1R NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Champions Cup[nb 19] A A A 1R A A A A Tournament Not Held
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) 		QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi-finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Held means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
PA / Pro-am Event means an event is/was a pro-am event.
  1. ^ From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.
  2. ^ a b c New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking
  3. ^ a b He was an amateur
  4. ^ Players qualified through European Tour Order of Merit started the season without prize money ranking points
  5. ^ Players qualified One Year Ranking List started the season without ranking points
  6. ^ Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points
  7. ^ The event was called the European Open (1994/1995–1996/1997 and 2001/2002–2003/2004), the Irish Open (1998/1999) and the Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
  8. ^ The event was called the International Open (1994/1995–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
  9. ^ The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
  10. ^ The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
  11. ^ The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and the Asian Classic (1996/1997)
  12. ^ The event was called the Thailand Open (1995/1996–1996/1997)
  13. ^ The event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
  14. ^ The event was called the Australian Masters (1994/1995-1995/1996)
  15. ^ The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)
  16. ^ The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
  17. ^ The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
  18. ^ The event was called the Grand Prix (1994/1995–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010), the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014)
  19. ^ The event was called the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999)

Career finals

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Non-ranking finals: 2 (1 title)

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Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 1998 Merseyside Professional Championship England Peter Lines 4–5
Winner 1. 2022 World Seniors Championship England Jimmy White 5–4

Pro-am finals: 2 (1 title)

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Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2008 TCC Open Snooker Championship Wales Mark Williams 7–5
Runner-up 1. 2014 Pink Ribbon England Peter Lines 1–4

Amateur finals: 4

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Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 2006 PIOS – Event 3 Republic of Ireland Leo Fernandez 5–6
Runner-up 2. 2007 PIOS – Event 4 England Kuldesh Johal 4–6
Runner-up 3. 2011 IBSF World Snooker Championship Iran Hossein Vafaei 9–10
Runner-up 4. 2014 Welsh Amateur Championship Wales Jamie Clarke 6–8

References

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  1. ^ "Walker Coaches Hong Kong Talent". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Lee Walker targeting Crucible after Coral Welsh Open exploits". World Snooker. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Lee Walker". Snooker Database. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Walker Wins World Seniors Crown". World Snooker. 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
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