Posts by: Matt Huart

World Women’s Rankings – UK Women’s Championship 2019 Update

By In General News, News, Rankings, UK Women's Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on World Women’s Rankings – UK Women’s Championship 2019 Update

The official world women’s rankings have been updated for the first time during the 2019/20 season after Reanne Evans made a winning start to the new season with victory at the UK Women’s Snooker Championship last weekend.

The WWS world rankings operate on a rolling two-year basis, with points earned during 2017/18 to be removed during the course of this season. At this revision, points earned at the 2017 Paul Hunter Women’s Classic and 2017 UK Women’s Championship were removed from the ranking list and replaced by those earned at the Northern Snooker Centre this month.

Evans Extends Lead

Reanne Evans has significantly increased her lead at the top of the world women’s ranking list from 16,850 points to a commanding 24,350 points following her record ninth victory at this year’s UK Women’s Championship in Leeds.

With both players defending the same amount of points from the corresponding time period two years ago, victory for Evans combined with On Yee not competing in this year’s event results in a net gain of 7,500 points for the reigning world champion.

From now until the end of the season both players have a similar amount of points to come off their totals after the leading pair dominated the 2017/18 season and so Evans is now well-placed to retain the top ranking for the foreseeable future.

The Top 10

Away from the top two, Laura Evans has leapfrogged Maria Catalano into fifth position, despite Catalano reaching her first ranking final in 18 months last weekend. This is because she was defending 8,550 ranking points from both the Paul Hunter Women’s Classic and UK Women’s Championship events in 2017, while Evans missed the German event in 2017 and so had just 3,750 to be removed from her total this week.

Nevertheless, with the majority of her total points to be removed over the coming season following a difficult period for Catalano off the table, her final run this week is a timely boost as she looks to retain her top eight ranking.

Also on the rise inside the top 10 is Hornchurch youngster Emma Parker, who climbs one place to a career-high eighth position after she reached the quarter-finals of the season-opening event in Leeds. With relatively few points to defend from two years ago compared to those ranked immediately above her, there is every chance that the 20-year-old can make further gains still over the next few months.

On the Rise

Elsewhere, there were gains for Hong Kong’s Jaique Ip Wan In who climbs four places to 13th, while players including Jackie Ellis and Connie Stephens are up to new career-highs of 16th and 21st positions respectively.

Thailand’s Ploychompoo Laokiatphong is also up four places to 26th after she reached her maiden ranking event semi-final in Leeds and with no points to defend from her total during the remainder of the season will be targeting further gains over the next few months.

There is a new career-high of 35th for 13-year-old Zoe Killington after she reached the last 16 stage for a first time, representing a gain of 10 places, while  Chrissy Allwood jumps to 45th and debutants Jodie Lockett, Mariia Shevchenko and Hind Bennani are all up to tied 64th after reaching the knockout rounds.

Under-21 / Seniors

Victory for Emma Parker sees her successfully retain top spot on the Under-21 ranking list, with runner-up Steph Daughtery remaining on her heels in second position. Former world under-21 champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai climbs one place to third after 2017 runner-up Shannon Metcalf was unable to defend her points last weekend due to a knee injury.

Meanwhile the new Seniors rankings announced earlier this summer reflects the results of last weekend’s side-tournament with Jan Hughes becoming its first number one after her title triumph in Leeds.

Please note that for this season ranking points in the Under-21 and Seniors rankings will be awarded in accordance with the new side-events points schedule available HERE.

The World Women’s Snooker Tour will return with the Australian Women’s Open from 17-20 October 2019.

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Evans Claims Record Ninth UK Crown

By In News, UK Women's Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Evans Claims Record Ninth UK Crown

Reanne Evans has defeated Maria Catalano 4-2 to capture the UK Women’s Snooker Championship for a record-extending ninth time at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

The victory sees the world number one maintain her current 11-month unbeaten run on the World Women’s Snooker Tour, which has now seen her claim seven consecutive titles and is her first UK success since 2016.

Having started her campaign with a win against Zoe Killington, 33-year-old Evans survived a scare against Hong Kong’s Fong Mei Mei at the quarter-final stage before coming through a 3-2 winner. She then comfortably defeated namesake Laura Evans in the semi-finals to reach an unprecedented 12th UK final.

There she would face close friend Maria Catalano, who previously won the event back in 2012 and had reached the final on a further five previous occasions prior to 2019. The current world number five defeated Connie Stephens on Saturday before surviving hard-fought matches with promising youngsters Emma Parker and Thailand’s Ploychompoo Laokiatphong to progress to her first final since the 2018 World Women’s Championship in Malta.

It was Catalano who made the stronger start to the final to lead 1-0 and 2-1, before Evans snatched what would prove to be a pivotal fourth frame on the black to level the scores. From there she began to take control of the match, taking the fifth frame to lead for the first time before comfortably adding the sixth to crown victory.

“It was patchy this weekend, but I felt good even when I played bad so I knew it [form] was there,” said Evans. “Overall I am really pleased, to play Maria in the final again was good. It is always a bit awkward to play against your best mate, but I’m just glad to see her back after last year [Maria lost her father shortly before the same event in 2018] so this one is for her. She didn’t want to enter and we sort of made her treat it as a holiday, but she relaxed and to be fair she played a little bit better than me. I just dug in there and waited for my chances.”

For Evans the event followed her appearance at the SangSom 6-Red World Championship last week in Thailand, as she returned to the site of her record 12th world title success earlier this summer.

“It has only been the last day or so that I have actually slept well, then I got here and didn’t sleep,” continued Evans. “But it was brilliant to be back in Thailand and to be part of an event like that. I’m just happy to be playing in all of these different events now before I get too old!”

The tournament saw 32 players travel from across the world to compete including from Hong Kong, Morocco and Russia as the World Women’s Snooker Tour continues to grow. The high break was a fantastic run of 105 compiled by champion Evans during the second frame of her quarter-final win.

Side-events

Emma Parker shrugged off the disappointment of her narrow quarter-final defeat in the main competition to claim the UK Women’s Under-21 title for the second time in three years with a 2-0 win against Steph Daughtery.

The current junior number one defeated Zoe Killington and then Ploychompoo Laokiatphong in a tight semi-final, before overcoming 2015 and 2016 champion Daughtery to seal victory.

There was also a new winner in the Seniors side-event as Jan Hughes claimed her first over-40s tournament since since 2012 following a 2-1 win against Bugsie Cothier. Hughes defeated Michelle Baker before inflicting a first seniors defeat upon Jenny Poulter since April 2017 to reach the final, before edging out first-time finalist Cothier to claim the title.

The Challenge Cup side-event for players who had exited the main competition prior to the quarter-finals was won by Jaique Ip of Hong Kong, who defeated Morocco’s Hind Bennani who became the first African to compete on the WWS circuit during the weekend. Ip began with victories against Charlee Blair-McDonough, Jackie Ellis and Jenny Poulter, before scoring a 2-0 victory against Bennani for the title.

The next stop on the World Women’s Snooker Tour will be the Australian Women’s Open, which will run from 17-20 October 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Enter online now via the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council website HERE.

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Cue Sports Yorkshire Supports Women’s Snooker

By In General News, News, Tour Partners, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Cue Sports Yorkshire Supports Women’s Snooker

World Women’s Snooker (WWS) is today pleased to announce that Cue Sports Yorkshire will become our latest tour partner for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.

Formed in 2017 by our current world number three Rebecca Kenna and her husband Ash, the Keighley-based company offers a wide range of cues, cases and accessories for players of all cue sports across West Yorkshire and beyond.

The store is also the home of one full-size snooker table, allowing customers to try products immediately and is used by Rebecca (who in 2018 qualified as a WPBSA World Snooker Level 2 coach), to deliver coaching lessons and for her own practice in between tournaments.

Cue Sports Yorkshire will be featured on our website as a tour partner and during the season on our social media platforms.

Rebecca Kenna said: “On behalf of Cue Sports Yorkshire I am really happy that we will be able to support the World Women’s Snooker Tour during this season.

“I have always been passionate about cue sports and since joining the WWS circuit in 2016 I have never looked back. I have met some fantastic people and enjoyed competing in events around the world, as well as taking the opportunity to become an accredited coach and of course also being able to provide a high-quality service to all players at Cue Sports Yorkshire.

“The WWS circuit has grown significantly during the past three years, only last month I was able to play at the Crucible Theatre for the first time at the Women’s Tour Championship and therefore I am pleased that Cue Sports Yorkshire is able to support its aim of getting more women and girls on the baize.”

Learn more about Cue Sports Yorkshire online HERE.

View all of our Tour Partners HERE.

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Zoe Killington Q&A

By In Interviews, News, Player Features, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Zoe Killington Q&A

Among those who will be competing at this weekend’s UK Women’s Snooker Championship in Leeds is 13-year-old Zoe Killington and we recently caught up with the Merseyside youngster to talk about her snooker journey so far…

Hi Zoe, you are one of our youngest players on the World Women’s Snooker Tour, how much have you enjoyed competing on the circuit and how did you get into snooker?

It has been nearly a year since I started at the Eden Women’s Masters last year. I have enjoyed the events immensely. It is fantastic to be able to play snooker with other women and girls and be part of a community.

I first started playing about a year earlier, just for fun. I wanted a hobby and just have something fun to do at the weekend. My dad has played snooker since he was young and plays with a few of his mates. One week I had to go with him and I found it quite interesting. At first I didn’t want to take it seriously, but I started having lessons around March 2018, and that’s when I thought about taking it more seriously.

You come from a real snooker hotbed in Merseyside, tell us a little about where you play and the other notable players in the area…

Where I play is fantastic [George Scott Snooker Club]. We have a kids club on a Saturday morning and everyone there is nice and friendly. I’ve made some good friends. It’s good to have friends who enjoy playing snooker, even if they are all boys.

One of my teammates, Sean Maddocks, is an upcoming talent. He recently just missed out on a main tour place at Q School, making it to the final round. He’s only 17 and he’s made two 147s. Another good player is Danny Harwood, who plays on the World Disability Billiards and Snooker circuit. He plays in our league and is always a challenge. Another teammate of mine is Mikey Roberts. He’s 15 and won Merseyside events and is another outstanding player.

Who are your snooker heroes? Earlier this year you played Mark Selby in an exhibition…

Earlier this year I did play Mark Selby, set up by my coach. But some of my heroes are Anthony McGill, Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump. When I first started to play snooker, I noticed Anthony McGill. I liked the way he played, and I learnt a lot on shot selection. He also noticed my cueing action on Facebook as he is friends with my coach. That did make me like him more. I’ve met him in person in my local club and in the club he plays in, in Glasgow.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s UK Women’s Snooker Championship, the event will be a little different for you as for the first time, your younger sister Laura will be taking part in the under-21 competition in Leeds. How special would it be to have two Killingtons high in the rankings one day?

I am so excited for my sister, Laura, to play in Leeds. I have wanted her to play for ages, but she did gymnastics and enjoyed that. It would be so fun if we could both be some of the best players on the circuit. It would just be great to have her there and for her to play at a young age would mean she would improve so much, so quickly, I could have a real threat soon! We hope to compete together in the World Women’s Pairs Championship at some point.

 And finally, what message would you have for other girls who might be thinking of taking up snooker and joining the WWS Tour?

For anyone who’s joining the circuit and playing snooker, it’s fabulous. You feel part of a community, and it is a brilliant feeling. Everyone is always friendly. There’s nothing to be nervous about, because everyone has been there on their first day.

 

We wish Zoe the best of luck this weekend at the UK Women’s Snooker Championship, which takes place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds. Click here for links to tournament information, with the draw and format due to be released this Thursday.

UK Women’s Championship 2019: Tournament Information

By In General News, News, UK Women's Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on UK Women’s Championship 2019: Tournament Information

Tournament information for this weekend’s UK Women’s Snooker Championship at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds is now available:

Please note that due to the significant increase in entries for this weekend, the event will be played under a different format to normal in order to ensure that play on each day can be completed in a timely manner.

  • The top eight seeded players have been seeded straight through to the last 16.
  • The remaining 24 players have been allocated to eight round-robin groups, with one seeded player per group.
  • The top two players from each group will progress and meet in a last 24 round for the right to join the top eight seeds in the last 16.

The UK Women’s Championship is our first ranking event of the 2019/20 World Women’s Snooker Tour season as the competition returns to Leeds for its fifth consecutive year.

With reigning champion Ng On Yee absent this year all eyes will be on eight-time champion Reanne Evans who will be looking to emerge victorious at the event for the first time since 2016 and maintain her 100% undefeated record on the women’s circuit dating back to last October’s Australian Women’s Open.

There is a bumper field for this year’s tournament with 34 individual players set to compete across the weekend, including an impressive nine who are set to make their tour debuts. The draw and format will be released later this week (approx Wednesday).

If you have any questions please contact a member of the team via our website or social media.

New Women’s Seniors Rankings

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World Women’s Snooker (WWS) is today pleased to announce the creation of a new world ranking list for women players over-40 from the start of the 2019/20 season.

To be run alongside the existing main world rankings and under-21 rankings, the decision to introduce a third ranking list follows a significant increase in entries to the seniors tournaments held at WWS events during the past 12 months.

Mandy Fisher, WWS President said: “It has been fantastic to the growth of our seniors competitions at tournaments in recent times, with old friends like Jan Hughes and Jane O’Neill picking up their cues again after some time away, as well as newcomers joining the tour for the first time.

“It was therefore an easy decision to establish a new ranking list for our over-40s to sit alongside our junior rankings and I am sure that the competition to become number one will be fierce over the months and years to come!”

The first WWS Seniors Rankings will be published following next month’s UK Women’s Snooker Championship and will be based upon results during the Seniors competition to be contested during the weekend.

Entries for the event are still open here: https://www.womenssnooker.com/tournament-entry/uk-womens-championship-2019-leeds-england/

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Evans is Queen of the Crucible

By In News, Women's Tour Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Evans is Queen of the Crucible

World number one Reanne Evans has won the inaugural Women’s Tour Championship title at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

The event saw the world’s top four ranked players Evans, Ng On Yee, Rebecca Kenna and Nutcharut Wongharuthai take to the baize as women’s snooker returned to the home of the snooker for the first time since 2003.

Evans began the day with a dramatic black-ball victory against 19-year-old Wongharuthai in what was a repeat of this year’s World Championship final. Having split two high-quality opening frames the match came down to a re-spotted black, which Evans would eventually ‘treble’ into the middle pocket to book her place in the final.

There she would meet long-time rival Ng On Yee after the Hong Kong star defeated third ranked Rebecca Kenna 2-0 in the second semi-final. After On Yee took a scrappy opener, the match was highlighted by a stunning clearance of 47 by the three-time former world champion to seal victory.

The final between the world’s top two players would be played as a single frame shoot-out and it was On Yee who had the first clear chance to build an advantage. A surprising miss on the black however would prove to be her final shot as Evans made no mistake with a decisive break of 79 to clinch the title.

The victory sees Evans pick up from where she left off after a six-title 2018/19 season which saw her regain the world number one ranking and claim her record 12th world title.

“To come back and soak everything up with the one-table set-up, I have absolutely loved it and hopefully it’s a step forward for women’s snooker and for me in general.” said Evans.

“We were happy just to be come and play here as the top four women players at the Crucible Theatre of dreams, every snooker player no matter who you are wants to play her. Then we were told that it was live on TV which added pressure, but it lets people know that we play and people will try to support us more and hopefully we can put on a good show.”

The tournament was held as part of this year’s ROKiT World Seniors Snooker Championship, which has seen 20 of the world’s best over-40 players compete in Sheffield this week with live coverage in the UK and Ireland broadcast by Freesports TV.

The World Women’s Snooker Tour returns next month with the UK Women’s Snooker Championship from Leeds on 14-15 September 2019. Enter the event now online HERE.

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Women’s Tour Championship 2019

By In News, Women's Tour Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Women’s Tour Championship 2019

The draw and format for the Women’s Tour Championship to be held tomorrow (Saturday) at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is now available.

The inaugurual event, which will be televised live in the UK and Ireland by Freesports TV, will women’s snooker contested at the sport’s spiritual home for the first time in over 16 years.

All matches will provisionally be played over the best of three frames, subject to change depending on timings during the day.

Tickets for the event are still available HERE for just £1.47 when purchased alongside a full-price ticket for the ROKiT World Seniors Snooker Championship.

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Women’s Snooker to Return to Australia

By In Australian Women's Open, General News, News, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Women’s Snooker to Return to Australia

The Australian Women’s Snooker Open will return to Sydney from 17-20 October 2019 following its successful first staging last season.

Organised by the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council (ABSC) and World Women’s Snooker (WWS), the event will again be staged at the Mt Pritchard District and Community Club, known as ‘Mounties’ in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

Won last year by Ng On Yee of Hong Kong, the event will be recognised as the second ranking event of the 2019/20 World Women’s Snooker Tour season and carry full ranking status. The tournament will be sponsored by Mounties and the ABSC, with a total prize fund of AUD$10000, to include a top prize of AUD$4000 for the champion.

Last year’s event was well-supported as 24 women from five countries competed, including the world’s top two ranked players Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee. In addition to claiming the inaugural event title with victory against compatriot Katrina Wan, On Yee also marked the occasion by compiling a high-break of 139 – her highest ever in competition and one of seven century breaks across the event in total.

As well as international players, the event also proved popular with women players from across Australia, with Jessica Woods progressing furthest as she reached the quarter-finals at her first WWS event in over two years. At the time of writing Woods is one of an impressive 17 Australian players on the current world ranking list, a total bettered only by England (31) demonstrating the important role that the region has to play in the future of women’s snooker.

Mandy Fisher, WWS President said: “I am delighted that the World Women’s Snooker Tour is to return to Australia following the success of last year’s inaugural tournament. Once again I would like to express our thanks to Frank Dewens and his team at the ABSC and hope that players from Australia and beyond will continue to support this fantastic event.”

Frank Dewens, ABSC President said: “Once again it is a great pleasure in hosting this prestigious event and seeing the best women snooker players in the world. We in Australia are excited to have the opportunity to put our women players up against the world’s best and allow them to test their skills and further their careers. We are opening up our country not only to women players but considering staging other events such as seniors, juniors and one day hopefully returning the Goldfields Open. I look forward on this occasion to seeing the world’s best women players and inviting them to enjoy the hospitality we put on offer.”

The event will be available to enter soon at the ABSC website: absc.com.au/online-entries

For more information about Mounties visit their website: www.mounties.com.au

View our latest confirmed events for the 2019/20 season: www.womenssnooker.com/events

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UK Women’s Championship – Entry Open

By In General News, News, UK Women's Championship, WWS Updated: Comments Off on UK Women’s Championship – Entry Open

We are now accepting entries for the 2019 UK Women’s Snooker Championship, to be held at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England from 14-15 September.

Won last year by Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee, the event will include a main tournament, as well as side-events for Under-21 and Seniors players should sufficient entries be received. There will also be a Challenge Cup competition staged on Sunday for players who have already been knocked out of the main competition prior to the final day.

As was the case last season, to encourage new and returning players to pick up a cue and try the competition, we will continue to offer free entry to the main competition for women who have not competed at a WWS event during the past three seasons i.e. since the start of the 2016/17 season.

The closing date for entries and payment of entry fees is 4:30pm BST on Friday 6 September 2019.