Name: Ryan Day

DOB: March 23rd 1980

Nationality: Welsh

Turned Pro: 1999

Highest Ranking: #6 (2009/10)

Current Ranking: #6

Highest Break: 145

Career Highlights: 2008 Grand Prix Finalist, 2007 Malta Cup Finalist, 2007 Shanghai Masters Finalist, 2008 & 2009 China Open Semi-Finalist, 2008 & 2009 World Quarter-Finalist, 2001 B&H Championship Winner

In short

At 29 years of age now, Ryan Day is something of a late developer as far as snooker players go. Although he has been around for a long time now, it is only over the course of the last couple of seasons that he has managed to break into the top 16 for the first time and looked like being able to challenge for ranking event titles. Better late than never however as right now Ryan is very much one of the most consistent players in the top of the game and will be hoping to win that elusive first ranking event sooner rather than later.

As far as Day’s game is concerned, he has always been one of the most prolific break builders in the game as evidenced by having made over 100 career century breaks. One of only 26 players to have done so, this is particularly impressive given how he has spent much of his career outside of the top 16. If he can continue to improve the other aspects of his game such as his safety then there is no reason why he cannot continue his rise up the rankings and challenge for honours.

Early career

With twelve national amateur titles to his name during the 1990’s, Ryan has always been regarded as a player with some potential. Having made the 1998 World Amateur final where he was unfortunate to lose out 11-10 to England’s Luke Simmons, Day turned professional a year later and secured a place on the main tour.

His early years were unspectacular, once dropping off the tour although he regained his spot emphatically by winning the 2001/2 Challenge Tour. It was also during this season that he was to make his mark on the pro game by winning the 2001 B&H Championship and qualifying for the Masters at Wembley. Here he recorded an impressive win against Dave Harold before being taught a lesson by six times winner Stephen Hendry in the next round.

From this point his ranking was to steadily rise, aided by reaching the World Championship for the first time in 2004. Coming up against formidable opposition in John Higgins, Ryan played brilliantly, making three centuries (a record for a Crucible debutant), to lead the match 9-7. Higgins’ experience ultimately proved the difference however as he took the next three frames to move into the second round.

The following season saw him reach his first ranking event quarter-final, at his home tournament, highlighted by beating Steve Davis 5-4 from 4-0 now. Although he failed to qualify again for the Crucible having lost 10-5 to close friend Stephen Maguire in the final qualifying round, Day was now into the top 48 for the first time. A year later he was to do better however and reach the second round in Sheffield with an excellent 10-3 win over Joe Perry. This was as far as he got though as Ronnie O’Sullivan ended his hopes in his next match.

Top 16

By this stage of his career Ryan was regularly qualifying for the big events and starting to push for a place in the top 16 for the first time. He made his second ranking event quarter-final at the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy before making a tremendous run to the final of the following year’s Malta Cup. Although he lost this 9-4 to Shaun Murphy, Ryan qualified for the season ending World Championship once again and in doing so managed to end the season ranked at 16th position.

No longer having to qualify for events, Day took his form into the 2007/8 season with a run to his second final at the season opening Shanghai Masters. Surprisingly he was to lose out again however, letting slip a 6-2 lead against countryman Dominic Dale.

In the form of his career, Ryan was to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in 2008. Having beaten Michael Judge in the first round he notched up one of the best wins in his career in the second round by defeating the defending champion John Higgins 13-9. He did not play as well in his next match however and lost out 13-7 to a resurgent Stephen Hendry.

2008/9

Despite that defeat to Hendry, he had done enough to move up inside the top ten for the first time at number 8 and his strong form continued into 2008/9 as he reached the final of the 2008 Grand Prix. It was to be Higgins who gained his revenge with a 9-7 victory however as Ryan could not reproduce the brilliant form that had taken him to the final. His good run was enough however to lift him to third in the provisional rankings, his highest position yet.

Following that result though, Ryan’s season began to unravel somewhat as he suffered last 32 defeats in both the UK Championship and his home tournament the Welsh Open. Things did improve at the China Open where he whitewashed Shaun Murphy on the way to the semi-finals, but although he led 3-1, that man Higgins thwarted him again and came through to win 6-4.

At the season-ending World Championship he quietly moved through the early rounds with comfortable victories over Stephen Lee and Nigel Bond and with potential quarter-final opponent Ronnie O’Sullivan losing out to Mark Allen, must have fancied his chances of making it to the one table situation for the first time. Allen though had already given Ryan a hammering at the Masters when he won 6-1 and again it was to be his day as he won the match 13-11.

Ryan did at least end the season ranked at a career high 6th position but at 29 years of age, I would suggest urgently needs to win that first ranking event title while he is still at what should be his peak. If he continues to lose in finals then it could become a psychological issue that could be hard to get over…

Tournament Victories:

Non-Ranking Event wins (1)

Profile supplied by Matt Huart (http://prosnookerblog.com/)