Bai Hopes To Thrive On Pro Tour
New World Women’s Champion Bai Yulu hopes she can continue to make “rapid progress” in her career as she looks ahead to playing on the World Snooker Tour for the first time.
China’s 20-year-old Bai won the biggest title in women’s snooker last weekend, beating Mink Nutcharut 6-5 in a dramatic final in Dongguan, Changping. She has long been recognised as an outstanding talent, and justified that reputation by capturing the crown for the first time, notably making a break of 122 which is the highest break ever made in the final.
Bai will now turn pro having earned a World Snooker Tour card for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, where she will have the chance to test herself against the best in the sport. She will also head to the UK next month to play in the Cazoo World Championship qualifying rounds as one of the 16 amateurs awarded a place in the event.
“I’m really happy about winning the title,” said Bai. “This is a target achieved and I will continue to give my best effort. In the knockout stage the field was very strong, and I certainly felt the pressure as I was playing in my home country. It was very difficult to come through such a tight match in the final.
“It’s going to be a brand new start for me. I’ve been working hard to become a main tour player and now I’ve done it. Getting the tour card made me so thrilled because I get to play in the big events in the UK. I hope to maintain a good mindset, try to improve my game and continue to make rapid progress. It’s a new kind of learning process.
“There wasn’t much time for celebration. I got the invitation to play in the World Championship qualifying event, so I can’t relax for now as I will be preparing for that.”
Li Jianbing, who has coached Bai since her junior days, added: “It’s her dream as a kid come true. She comes from a working class family and has great parents. Back then, there were no examples of training female snooker players for us. But she persevered and went through everything, then played in all of the tournaments from smaller ones to big championships.
“She grew to love the game gradually and she’s no stranger to pressure. She has that natural spirit of not giving up. It’s a sport where we think there is not much difference between men and women players and she came to realise that she could make it. It’s also her dream to compete on the biggest international stage as a Chinese player.”
Article by WST.
