World ranking: 20
Last five seasons: 19-23-54-87-79
Date of birth: 29-12-71
Lives: Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan
Turned professional: 1992
Ranking tournament victories: 1
Last season’s prize money: £78,720
Career prize money: £255,530
Highest tournament break: 145

Dominic Dale caused a major upset by winning the 1997 Grand Prix in Bournemouth, defeating John Higgins 9-6 in the final.

In so doing, he became only the fifth Welshman to win a world ranking title and rose 31 places in the rankings.

The 1998-99 season proved a major disappointment in contrast as he failed to progress further than the last 32 of a ranking event.

But the man with a taste for colourful suits - and even more colourful shirts - returned to form during the 1999-2000 campaign.

He reached the semi-finals of the Thailand Masters, where he went out 5-1 to eventual winner Mark Williams, and the quarter-finals of the Embassy World Championship.

A 10-8 victory over Patrick Wallace secured his third trip to the Crucible and he then beat Peter Ebdon 10-6 and David Gray 13-1 before going down 13-9 to Joe Swail.

Dale was a member of Wales’ Nations Cup-winning side in 1999 and helped them reach the final again in 2000 when they were beaten by England.