Gould exits Welsh Open after Walden loss

Pinner’s Martin Gould crashed out of the Welsh Open on Wednesday to world number nine Ricky Walden.

The world number 25 lost the first two frames of the third-round encounter at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.

But Gould hit back and levelled the match with an 84 break in frame four.

The match swung on a tight fifth frame. Gould put a 52 on the board but Walden, in two visits, managed to pinch it.

And the 2013 World Championship semi-finalist compiled breaks of 43 and 40 to secure a 4-2 victory and a place in the last 16.

Gould is next in action on 27 February in a European Tour event in Poland, where he will face an as yet undetermined qualifier.