Scottish Open 2020 - Mark Selby: 'Great player' Ricky Walden getting back to his best
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Updated 11/12/2020 at 17:19 GMT
Ricky Walden has spent the last few years plagued by a back injury and has fallen down the rankings but after beating him via a final frame decider in the Scottish Open quarter-finals, Mark Selby believes the 38-year-old is getting back into the groove. Selby was also broadly happy with his performance in the win, which featured a spirited fightback from Walden.
Ricky Walden produces a break of 117 against Mark Selby
Image credit: Eurosport
Mark Selby believes that Ricky Walden is getting back to his best following a few injury-ridden years after edging him out 5-4 in the Scottish Open quarter-finals.
Walden has been ranked as high at six and has won three ranking titles, suffered a serious back injury in 2016 and has since struggled with form and fitness.
Selby defeated Walden to reach the last four of the Scottish Open in Milton Keynes but believes that his opponent is getting back into the groove.
"It's just good to see him play well again because me and Ricky grew up together through the junior ranks and he's a great, great lad and a great player," he told Andy Goldstein in the Eurosport studio after the match.
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Selby: 'Great player' Walden getting back to his best
"I was speaking to him a few days ago and he said his back's completely fine now and he's pain free, which is fantastic.
"He said it's all about confidence now and he's obviously beaten a lot of top players. He beat Mark Allen the round before and he was close to taking me out there so his confidence is getting back."
Selby was broadly happy with his performance in the last-eight encounter but believes he could have sealed victory sooner after missing a chance to go 4-1 up in the fifth frame.
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"I thought I played quite well apart from a couple of silly reds I missed and a few loose safety shots. Overall I think I played okay and Ricky played well as well.
"At 3-1 I had a chance to go 4-1 and if you're 4-1, you have a chance to be stood here a lot earlier."
Selby also believes that it is more advantageous not to break in a frame, having previously preferred to kick off the frame himself.
"I used to choose to break because I thought it was an advantage but now I'd give it away every time," he added.
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