The still only 18-year-old Ben Mertens foisted a dry 4-1 defeat on Ricky Walden, 22 years his senior, in the first round of the WST Classic.
Ben Mertens is in his first year on the Tour, while Ricky Walden already became a professional player in 2001, 3 years before Mertens was born.
But at the snooker table, that age difference doesn’t count. Only in the 3rd frame, Walden, the number 23 in the world, could give something back.
In the next round, Mertens will match the Chinese Pang Junxu, semi-finalist at the Welsh Open. Luca Brecel and Julien Leclercq will play later at the WST Classic in Leicester.
