Snooker star taken to hospital after being forced to withdraw from German Masters
WATCH NOW: Sports round-up as Ricky Walden taken to hospital
Snooker star Ricky Walden has been forced to withdraw from the German Masters after being hospitalised on Wednesday night.
The 42-year-old was taken to hospital ahead of his scheduled last-16 match, with the specific medical issue remaining undisclosed.
Former German snooker star Rolf Kalb confirmed the news on social media, stating: "Bad news. Ricky Walden had to be taken to hospital last night and was therefore forced to withdraw from the German Masters."
The World Snooker Tour issued a brief statement, saying: "Ricky Walden has withdrawn from the ongoing Machineseeker German Masters on medical grounds."
Snooker star Ricky Walden has been forced to withdraw from the German Masters after being hospitalised on Wednesday night
PA
The match against Barry Hawkins was scheduled for Thursday morning before being cancelled.
The sudden withdrawal came as Walden was looking to secure his first quarter-final appearance since the 2023 Northern Ireland Open.
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Snooker star Ricky Walden had been due to face Barry Hawkins at the German Masters
PA
Walden had shown impressive form in the tournament before his withdrawal, securing victories against Ryan Day and Dylan Emery.
His strong performances extended to last week's Championship League, where he demonstrated exceptional play with wins over Xiao Guodong, Zhou Yuelong, Dave Gilbert, Noppon Saengkham and Joe O'Connor.
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Following Walden's withdrawal, Hawkins receives an automatic bye to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
The snooker star will face either Wu Yize or Alexander Ursenbacher in the next round.
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The tournament continues with other last-16 matches, featuring Xiao Guodong against Elliot Slessor, Anthony McGill versus Zhang Anda, and Kyren Wilson taking on Jak Jones.
The evening session includes high-profile matches between Judd Trump and Neil Robertson, while Shaun Murphy faces Yuan Sijun and Tom Ford meets Aaron Hill.
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