Australian Women’s Snooker Open 2025 | Tournament Preview
The World Women’s Snooker Tour returns to Mounties this weekend for the second world ranking event of the season as the Australian Women’s Open is held in Sydney.
The sixth edition of the world ranking event will see its field led by Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut with the world number one looking to add to her previous titles won in 2019 and last year, when she memorably edged Ng On Yee in a black-ball decider.
The competition will once again be played over four days, with the round robin groups to be completed over the first two. All of the players will begin in the group stage, with former world champion Mink, rising junior star Narucha Phoemphul and 2022 runner-up Jessica Woods installed as the top three seeds.
The top four from each group will progress to the knockout rounds to be played over Monday/Tuesday.
Group A
Two-time Mink Nutcharut could make it a milestone week in Sydney as victory on Tuesday evening would see her become only the eighth player in WWS Tour history to win 10 or more world ranking event titles during her career.
A model of consistency, having reached at least the semi-final stages of each of her last eight ranking events played, the Thai player is also looking to achieve a new first by lifting the same title for the third time overall.
Awaiting the world number one will be a group which sees two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist Joey Tohme looking to go one better than her most recent last eight run a year ago.
Also present will be three-time New South Wales State champion Theresa Whitten, who herself reached the last 16 stage a year ago, alongside fellow Australian Dianne Spring, who also made it to the knockout rounds in 2018 and 2024.
Completing the group will be Maria Paul-Bennett, one of two representatives from New Zealand, who returns to the Tour for the first time since 2023.
Group B
Thailand’s Narucha Phoemphul will be the top seed in Group B as she looks to further build upon a breakout year which has seen the 19-year-old break into the world’s top ten for the first time.
A semi-finalist at Mounties a year ago, ‘Jel’ will be targeting another milestone in 2025 and looks set to further consolidate her place among the tour’s elite.
Her opposition in the group stages will include Australia’s Carlie Tait – also a three-time New South Wales State champion – and a two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist most recently in 2023.
The group will also see the return of South Korea’s Jeongmin Park, who makes her first Tour appearance since the 2023 British Open and like Tait has previously reached the last eight stage at Mounties on two occasions.
New Zealand’s Agnes Kimura will also be in action having earlier this year made her World Championship debut in China, while Australian duo Krystal Aw and Jodie Wikeepa also return once again.
Group C
Home favourite Jessica Woods will be the top seed in Group C and will be hoping for a double celebration suring the weekend as she enjoys her birthday during the competition.
Runner-up in 2022 and one of just 18 players to have made a century break on the WWS Tour, Woods is the highest ranked Australian in the draw as she looks to lift her first silverware on the circuit on home soil.
She will be joined by compatriot Christine Firth, who is the second seed in the group having reached the quarter-finals in 2023 and the last 16 stage a year ago, while Rhonda Knight is also in action from the host nation.
The section will also see strong representation from Thailand as former Asia-Pacific Women’s Championship winner Ploychompoo Laokiatphong continues her return to competitive action, while 14-year-old Phakwalan Kongkaew, who recently reached the last 16 stage of the UK Championship only last month, also makes her debut in Australia.
The final name is the draw is China’s Shuangyu Jia, who reached the final of the Challenge Cup competition a year ago at Mounties.
Under-21 / Seniors
For the first time at the Australian Open there will also be side-tournaments held for Under-21 and Seniors players.
The Junior Championship will be an all-Thai affair as Narucha Phoemphul and Phakwalan Kongkaew contest the title, which will not carry ranking points due to fewer than four entries having been received.
The Seniors Championship meanwhile will see eight players take part, with New Zealand’s Agnes Kimura installed as top seed having also competed in the Seniors tournament at the World Championship back in May.
The action gets underway on Saturday from 10:00am AEST, with the latest match results and standings available via WPBSA SnookerScores.
