Records

Over 350 tournaments have been staged by World Women’s Snooker (WWS) since 1981 and below we have set out a number of significant records and milestones achieved during that time.

World Championship

Reanne Evans has won the World Women’s Snooker Championship on a record 12 occasions, having surpassed the previous benchmark of seven set by Allison Fisher.

Evans also holds the record for the highest number of consecutive title wins, having claimed ten in a row from her first in 2005 until 2014.

As well as Evans, only Allison Fisher (1985-86, 1988-89, 1991-94), Kelly Fisher (1998-2000), Karen Corr (1995-96) and Ng On Yee (2017-18) have successfully defended the title.

In 2018, Ng On Yee became the first player to win the World Championship without losing a frame, winning each of the 22 frames that she contested.

Stacey Hillyard was the youngest winner of the World Championship (Amateur) in 1984 aged just 15. Ann-Marie Farren was 16 when she won the world title three years later.

Five players from outside of the UK have won the World Championship, Lesley McIlrath (1980), Ng On Yee (three times), Nutcharut Wongharuthai (2022), Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan (2023) and Bai Yulu (2024). The 2017 final between Ng and India’s Vidya Pillai was the first all-Asian world final, followed by Nuanthakhamjan against China’s Bai Yulu in 2023 and Bai Yulu and Nutcharut Wongharuthai in 2024.

Bai Yulu became the first player to win the World Under-21 Championship and main World Championship during the same year in 2024.

Maria Catalano and Stacey Hillyard share the record for the most number of runner-up appearances, having each lost five separate finals.

Titles

Over 320 events have been staged under the World Women’s Snooker banner since 1981, including more than 630 individual tournaments currently recorded.

Allison Fisher holds the record for most overall main titles won (excluding side-events) with an estimated 68* victories (1983-1995), two ahead of closest chaser Reanne Evans on 66 (2003-2023).

A further five players have won ten or more ranking titles: Kelly Fisher (45), Karen Corr (26) Stacey Hillyard (22), Ng On Yee (21) and Maria Catalano (11).

*early records may be incomplete

Ranking Titles

To follow…

Side-Event Titles

Hannah Jones won a record 20 Under-21 titles between 2008-2014, including six World Under-21 Championship titles (2008-2011, 2013-14).

Jenny Poulter is the record-holder in the Seniors category, with 23 titles won over a 17-year span, including six World Seniors Championship crowns (2002, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019).

Tournament Records

Other than the World Championship, the most regularly staged event WWS event has been the UK Championship, which has taken place 36 times since 1982. The event has been won on a record 12 occasions by Reanne Evans. Other multiple champions include Allison Fisher (six), Kelly Fisher (four) Ng On Yee (four), Tessa Davidson (three) and Karen Corr (two).

First staged in 1983, the British Open has been run 28 times with Reanne Evans having taken six titles, ahead of four time winners Allison Fisher and Kelly Fisher. Karen Corr (three) and Ann-Marie Farren (two) are the only other multiple champions.

The Connie Gough Trophy was held on 24 occasions from 1992-2017 and was dominated by three players. Reanne Evans and Kelly Fisher both claimed a record seven titles and Maria Catalano (six).

Since its introduction to the calendar in 2013, the Women’s Masters has been dominated by Reanne Evans, who has won six titles from nine stagings. She has twice lost 4-3 to Ng On Yee in her two other finals, with Mink Nutcharut and Mary Talbot each winning the title for the first time in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

World Rankings

Since the introduction of the WWS world ranking system in 1983, 12 players have held the world number one ranking: Sue Foster, Mandy Fisher, Stacey Hillyard, Allison Fisher, Karen Corr, Kelly Fisher, Lynette Horsburgh, Reanne Evans, Emma Bonney, Maria Catalano, Ng On Yee and Mink Nutcharut.

Jenny Poulter holds the distinction of having enjoyed the longest unbroken spell in the world rankings, dating back to the inception of the ranking list until November 2024.

In 2018, Ng On Yee became the first player from outside of the UK to become world number one, with Mink Nutcharut subsequently achieving the feat in 2023.

• View the full chronology of the history of the world number one ranking

Breaks

All WWS Competitions

The highest break compiled to date in an official WWS competition is 140, achieved twice by Reanne Evans (2008 South Coast Classic, 2010 British Open).

From a break of 52 by a 13-year-old Stacey Hillyard in 1983, the highest break has risen on several occasions as set out below:

World Championship

The highest break at the World Women’s Snooker Championship so far was a run of 127 by China’s Bai Yulu against Amee Kamani at the 2023 World Championship at the Hi-End Snooker Club in Thailand.

The highest break scored in a World Championship final was a run of 122 compiled by China’s Bai Yulu in 2024.

Centuries

There are currently 16 players who have made at least one century break on the WWS Tour:

Allison Fisher was the first player to compile a century break in a women’s tournament in the final of the B&SCC Women’s Championship at the Charnwood Snooker Centre. Stacey Hillyard had previously made 114 during a Bournemouth league match, having not previously made a century break in practice.

Stacey Hillyard became the first woman to make a century break in a professional ranking event at the 1991 Dubai Duty Free Classic with a clearance of 109.

Reanne Evans holds the record for the most century breaks at WWS tournaments (22) ahead of Allison Fisher (14) and Kelly Fisher (11).

In 2022, Tessa Davidson compiled a break of 114 at the Eden Masters, 28 years on from her previous century break at the 1994 Spring Bowl.

At the 2023 US Women’s Open, Ng On Yee made the first WWS century break in the Americas region with a clearance of 121 against Frances Tso. The following day, Mink Nutcharut followed suit with a run of 107 during her quarter-final victory against Jaique Ip Wan In.

Other

In March 2019, Nutcharut Wongharuthai became the first female player to make a verified 147 break during a practice match against Waratthanun Sukritthanes at the Hi-End Snooker Club in Thailand.

In 1994, Allison Fisher compiled a record break of 133 against Stephen Hendry at the Lowen Sport European League, at the time the highest televised break by a woman and only the third century (Allison also made the previous two).

During the same year, Kelly Fisher made a total clearance of 143 during a best of 13 match at the Wakefield Snooker Club, a record at the time only bettered by Allison Fisher (144) and equalled by Stacey Hillyard.

In 1984, Lynette Horsburgh made a break of 40 when aged just nine, during a mixed gender Under-13 Open tournament.

World Snooker Tour

In May 1991, Allison Fisher, Ann-Marie Farren, Karen Corr, Stacey Hillyard and Georgina Aplin became the first five women to turn professional on the mixed gender World Snooker Tour.

World Championship

Twelve female players have competed at the professional World Championship: Karen Corr, Reanne Evans, Ann-Marie Farren, Allison Fisher, Kelly Fisher, Stacey Hillyard, Maureen McCarthy, Ng On Yee, Rebecca Kenna, Mink Nutcharut, Baipat Siripaporn and Bai Yulu.

Of these players, six have been able to win at least one match, with Corr, Farren, A.Fisher and Hillyard all claiming at least one victory at the 1992 World Championship.

Kelly Fisher was the first woman to score a century break at the World Championship, a run of 106 during her match against Ryan Day in 2002. At the 2023 World Championship, both Mink Nutcharut and Ng On Yee equalled the feat as they compiled breaks of 100 and 115 respectively during their qualifying round matches in Sheffield.

Ranking Events

In July 1991, Allison Fisher became the first female player to win a professional match with a 5-4 victory against Sukhbir Grewal at the Dubai Duty Free Classic.

At the same competition, Stacey Hillyard became the first woman to qualify for a professional event when she defeated Dermot McGlinchey, Paul Hefford (from 3-1 down) and Chris Carpenter (from 4-1 down), before losing to Alex Higgins in the second stage.

In 2013, Reanne Evans defeated Thepchaiya Un-Nooh to become the first woman to reach the final stages of a world ranking event. She would ultimately lose out 5-2 to Zhu Yinghui in the wildcard round in China.

In February 2022, Ng On Yee defeated Wu Yize 4-2 to qualify for the televised stages on the Welsh Open, in doing so becoming the first woman to win a professional match in five years since Reanne Evans defeated Robin Hull 10-8 at the 2017 World Championship.

Later in 2022, Ng repeated the feat at the British Open qualifiers as she scored a sensational 4-3 victory against former professional world champion Ken Doherty.

In January 2023, Reanne Evans became the first woman to win a televised match on the World Snooker Tour as she defeated former world champion Stuart Bingham at the Shoot Out in Leicester.

On 12 September 2024, Mink Nutcharut defeated Reanne Evans 4-2 in the opening round of the English Open, a match that marked the first time that two female players had faced each other at a professional ranking event venue.

At the 2024 UK Championship, China’s Bai Yulu defeated Farakh Ajaib (6-4), Jamie Jones (6-4) and Scott Donaldson (6-5) to reach the last 48 stage of a world ranking event, before losing 6-1 to Jack Lisowski. In doing so she became the first ever woman to reach the last 48 stage of a Triple Crown Series event and the first since Kelly Fisher in 1999 to win two or more matches at the same world ranking tournament.

Elite Mixed Gender Events

Q School

A number of players have competed at WST Q School since its introduction to the calendar prior to the 2011/12 season.

Reanne Evans has reached the fourth round of an event on six occasions (x2 last 16), while Ng On Yee has twice reached the same stage (x2 last 32) and Bai Yulu once (last 32).

Five women players have won a match at Q School to date, with Nutcharut Wongharuthai (2019) and Rebecca Kenna (2021) also having done so.

Q Tour

In January 2022, Nutcharut Wongharuthai defeated five male players to reach the quarter-finals of the third event of the 2021/22 WPBSA Q Tour Series. Her victories included deciding-frame wins against former professionals Billy Castle and Daniel Wells, before she fell to Belgian star Ben Mertens in the last eight.

World Snooker Federation

Four women have successfully qualified for the knockout stages of the prestigious mixed gender WSF Championships since 2018.

Reanne Evans became the first to do so at the inaugural staging of the event in 2018, followed by Rebecca Kenna (2022), Baipat Siripaporn (2023) and Narantuya Bayarsaikhan (2024).

India’s Natasha Chethan and Australia’s Lilly Meldrum each reached the last 16 of the WSF Junior Championship in 2023.

Miscellaneous Records

Winning Streaks

Reanne Evans holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive WWS Tour match wins, having won 90 matches (and 21 tournaments) following the 2008 Connie Gough Trophy, until her defeat to Maria Catalano at the 2011 Northern Championship.

Her run eclipsed the previous best streak of 69 matches set by Kelly Fisher following her defeat at the 2001 World Championship, until the quarter-finals of the 2003 Scottish Open when she too lost out to Catalano.

Allison Fisher also notably enjoyed a winning run from the 1984 World Championship (Amateur), stretching three years to her semi-final exit at the 1987 World Championship. The exact number of match wins during this streak is unknown.

All information correct according to records held as of 21/11/2024.