Joe Perry profile
A profile of Joe Perry ahead of snooker's World Championship at the Crucible.
Name: Joe Perry
Date of birth: 13/08/74 (40)
World ranking: 9
World Championship best: Semi-finalist 2008
This season will be one that lives long in the memory for Wisbech cueman Joe Perry.
In the first ranking event of the campaign, the Wuxi Classic, he dropped just four frames in reaching the semi-finals and beat Martin Gould to reach only his second ranking final and first in 13 years.
He came up against practice partner Neil Robertson who pipped him 10-9 and perhaps this affected his confidence as he failed to progress beyond the last 32 in the next four ranking events.
2015 saw him win the Xuzhou Open and his consistency on the PTC circuit saw him seeded seventh for the Grand Final in Bangkok.
He powered through to the final after wins over Ding Junhui, Anthony McGill, Michael Holt and Stuart Bingham and although he found himself 3-0 down to Mark Williams in the final, he hit back to win 4-3 and claim the first major title of his 23-year playing career and a coveted place in the world's top 10.
A very capable player who certainly fits nicely into the category of 'dark horse'.
