RICKY Walden wants to shrug off the 'disappointment' of last season and prove he is capable of winning the greatest prizes the sport has to offer. The 23-year-old from Bagillt, who begins qualifying for the Royal London Watches Grand Prix next week, is intent on proving why greats of the game like Jimmy White and John Parrott have tipped him for the top. He has earned that reputation after recording victories over the world's best players, like Ken Doherty, John Higgins and Ding Junhui. However, the furthest he has reached in a major tournament is the last-eight, while he has also failed to break into the top 32 in the tour rankings. Walden knows what he has to do to improve. 'It all comes down to consistency,' he said. 'I've proved to myself I can beat the top players. And they know I can beat them. What I've got to do is make sure I don't slip up against the lesser players. 'I suppose experience comes into it a little bit, but I've been playing properly on this tour for two or three years now so it's time to do the business.' Walden regards the 2005-06 season as a sidewards step, despite becoming one of the few players to beat Chinese wonderkid Ding, and despite winning his first-ever tournament when he defeated world number two Doherty to lift the non-ranking Swiss Open. However, in the big events, he failed to live up to his promise, and his last-16 finish in the China Open was as good as it got. 'I thought it was a disappointment really,' said Walden, who is ranked 37th on the tour and in the world. 'I lacked that little bit of consistency that all the top, top players have. I won a game and then lost a game and I never really achieved what I set out to do. 'What I wanted to do was get into the top 32. If I got into it, I wouldn't have to go through qualifying and I'd go straight through to finals. That's where I want to be. The tables are better, the atmospheres are better, and obviously that's where the cash is, which is important to young players. 'It all comes down to consistency - I've just got to improve that. I've got no doubts I can win tournaments but it's no good me just showing it in certain matches. I've got to do it all the time.' Walden has been hitting the table with regular practice partner Ian Mc-Culloch in preparation for the Grand Prix qualifiers in Prestatyn, which begin a week on Saturday. He will also head to South Wales to practice with Matthew Stevens. | 
