Ethan Walsh picked up the perfect present on his 17th birthday as he defeated top seed Shayan Siraj 4-2 in the final.

It was all the more remarkable given his inauspicious start, losing the first 11-1 as Siraj carried a bit of a bounce from a momentous 4-3 semi-final win into the final.

But Walsh worked his way back into the game and, from 2-2, took the initiative with a tactically smart game and closed out a 4-2 (1-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9) victory.

Walsh said: “It feels unbelievable and it’s the best achievement of the season by far. I won the schools event (Butterfly School Individual Finals) two weeks ago, which was really good, but this is the ultimate.

“I played really well at the Spanish Youth Open and brought that form to this tournament. I felt confident going in. Halfway through the season, I wouldn’t have felt at that level but it’s been a good end to the season – I’ve really picked it up and proved myself.”