Landywood British Women’s Open 2024 | Tournament Preview
The World Women’s Snooker Tour returns this Friday (24 May) with the final ranking event of the season as the Landywood British Open is staged at the Landywood Snooker Club.
Won last year by newly crowned world champion Bai Yulu, the prestigious tournament first held in 1983 has once again attracted a strong field of 46 entrants overall, with 44 set to contest the main world ranking event.
With Bai absent due to injury, the field is headed up by world number one and 2022 British Open champion Mink Nutcharut, record six-time winner of the event Reanne Evans and three-time world champion Ng On Yee.
Former professional Rebeecca Kenna will also be seeded through to Sunday’s last 16 stage, while Eden Masters champion Mary Talbot, former world champion Baipat Siripaporn and England’s Tessa Davidson will also be in action.
The top four seeds will be seeded through to the last 16 stage, with the remaining 40 players drawn into ten groups of four. The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stage to begin on Saturday afternoon with eight preliminary round matches.
Alongside the main tournament there will also be side-tournaments held for Under-21 and Seniors players, as well as a Challenge Cup on Sunday for players who do not reach the last 16.
To the group stage draw…
Group A
Guernsey’s Kate Le Gallez is the top seed in Group A and makes her second appearance in the British Open having made her debut in the event a year ago.
The 39-year-old will be aiming to match her season-best performance at the Eden Masters last November where she reached the last 16 and has been paired with talented juniors Ellise Scott and Sophie Nix, who both return to the Landywood Snooker Club for a second successive year.
The group is completed by Poland’s Nikola Broyak, who reached the last 16 on both her previous Tour appearances at last season’s Eden Masters and Belgian Open competitions.
Group B
Emma Parker returns to the British Open looking to improve upon a record in the tournament which has seen her achieve one quarter-final in 2022, although she also won the Challenge Cup competition in both 2018 and 2023.
The former world number five will begin her campaign in a group which includes Yuk Fan Lau of Hong Kong China – who reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last October – as well as Lesley Roberts and Scotland’s Mhairi Mackay.
Group C
Group C will be led by England’s Jasmine Bolsover who makes her third appearance in the British Open following last 16 and last 32 runs in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The 24-year-old enjoyed her best run of the season at the Eden Masters last November where she reached the quarter-finals and will be targeting a place in the knockout rounds once again.
She will be joined by compatriots Emma Powers-Richardson and Louise Jordan, as well as Poland’s Paulina Delega who makes her Tour debut this weekend at the Landywood Snooker Club.
Group D
Newly-crowned EPSB Winchester Women’s Open champion Tessa Davidson heads to Landywood full of confidence as she looks to consolidate her position inside of the world’s top 10 at the end of the season.
The Seniors number one will begin her quest for the title with matches against fellow Englishwomen Daisy May Oliver and Selina Dean, in addition to Scotland’s Deborah Fladgate who makes her first tour appearance since last November.
Group E
Former world champion Baipat Siripaporn is chasing her first Tour title since her unforgettable triumph in Thailand last March and features as part of an international group which includes players from four different countries.
Among them are Mei Mei Fong of Hong Kong China – who makes her first appearance in the British Open – as well as China’s Lynn Shi and Sarah Milne of Scotland.
Group F
Connie Stephens is set to make her fourth appearance at the British Open and will be bidding to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in Landywood.
Joining her will be former Australian Open quarter-finalist Katrina Wan – who impressed at the recent World Championship before losing 4-2 to eventual winner Bai Yulu in Dongguan Changping – as well as England’s Chloe Payne and Annamaria Wilkins of Hungary.
Group G
Germany’s Diana Schuler heads to Landywood looking to improve upon her last 32 run at the event in 2023 and finish the season on a high.
As was the case a year ago, the world number 12 is joined by Iran’s Zeinab Shahi in the group stage, with English pair Hannah Jones and Maureen Rowland completing the section.
Group H
Reigning Eden Masters champion Mary Talbot leads on paper one of the most intriguing groups in this year’s draw as she looks to maintain her 100% record at the British Open of reaching the knockout rounds on every appearance.
Standing in her way will be Chu Pui Ying of Hong Kong China who reached the last 16 stage of the event back in 2018, as well as Northern Ireland’s Chucky Preston who will compete at only her second tournament of the season and Anna Lynch of Australia.
Group I
The penultimate group of the round robin stage will see Eden Masters semi-finalist Sarah Dunn return to the circuit for the first time since her career-best run last November.
Having reached the last 32 stage in Landywood a year ago, she is set to take on Yee Ting Cheung of Hong Kong China, as well as English duo Laura Killington and Shabnam Younus-Jewell, who also met in Coulsdon earlier in the season.
Group J
Heading up the final group will be Yee Ki Ho of Hong Kong China, with the world number 14 looking for another strong showing having reached the last 16 stage a year ago.
Another international group will also see Poland’s Dalia Alska make her first appearance of the season alongiside England’s Cheryl Calverley, while Canada’s Maryann McConnell – who made her first tour appearance in 28 years at last August’s US Open – will sensationally compete in the UK for the first time since the 1995 Bailey Homes Ladies Classic this weekend.
Under-21 / Seniors
In the Under-21 competition Sophie Nix has the opportunity to reclaim the number one ranking from the absent Bai Yulu if she can reach the final for a second successive season at Landywood.
A bumper field of 13 players is set to contest the Seniors side-tournament and with reigning champion Mary Talbot having not entered the competition there is guaranteed to be a different finalist from 12 months ago when Talbot defeated Davidson to claim the title.
All the action gets underway on Friday from 3:00pm BST, with the latest match results and standings available via WPBSA SnookerScores.
