Seventh Heaven for Evans at Snooker Masters
England’s Reanne Evans has defeated Mink Nutcharut 4-3 to win a record-extending seventh Women’s Snooker Masters crown at Frames Sports Bar in Coulsdon, London.
Glory for the 12-time world champion ends a rare title drought that had stretched back over a year to her previous victory at the 2023 UK Championship and is her first Masters title since she claimed the crown in 2019.
The title capped an impressive weekend for Evans, who scored wins against four players currently ranked within the world’s top 10, including three of the top five seeds.
Having progressed through her round robin group with wins against Deborah Fladgate, Annamaria Wilkins and Wing Man Shiu, Evans saw off Tessa Davidson and Rebecca Kenna without the loss of a frame to set up a mouth-watering semi-final against China’s Bai Yulu.
The current world champion was the player of the moment following her run to the final qualifying round of the professional UK Championship last week, but it was Evans who would prevail a 4-2 winner to reach her second ranking event final of the season.
Awaiting her was world number one Mink Nutcharut, who having been seeded through to the last 16 stage saw off Hannah Jones to reach the final day, before surviving an all-Thai clash with Baipat Siripaporn 3-2 and then second ranked Ng On Yee 4-2 to reach the title match.
With never more than a frame separating the two players it was to prove a hard-fought final from start to finish as Nutcharut led 1-0 and 2-1, before Evans turned the tables to move to within one of the title at 3-2.
Back hit Mink with a match-high break of 60 to force a deciding-frame, but Evans was not to be denied as she dominated the final frame to clinch the title for the first time in five years.
The highest break in the competition was made by England’s Rebecca Kenna, who hit her first ever century break on the WWS Tour with a run of 111 during the group stages.
Side-Tournaments
There was a new champion crowned in the Under-21 competition as 18-year-old Narucha Phoemphul defeated England’s Zoe Killington to win her first WWS tournament.
The Thai player defeated Laura Killington and junior number one Sophie Nix without the loss of a frame to reach the final, before completing a perfect run with victory against the elder Killington to lift the title.
In the Seniors competition, however, there was to be a familiar winner as Tessa Davidson defeated Sarah Dunn 2-0 to complete her third successive win at the Women’s Masters and crown a successful 2024 with her fifth silverware of the calendar year.
The 55-year-old overcame Louise Jordan, Annamaria Wilkins and finally Dunn to continue her winning run and win her 13th Seniors title since her first in January 2022.
The Challenge Cup tournament for players who did not reach the quarter-finals was won by Narantuya Bayarsaikhan of Mongolia, who defeated Dunn, So Man Yan, Davidson and finally Sophie Nix 2-1 to win her second such title on the WWS Tour following her success in Albania earlier this year.
World Women’s Snooker would like to thank everyone who contributed to another hugely successful event, in particular Tony Thompson and his staff at Frames Sports Bar for use of their facilities throughout the three-day competition.
The 2024/25 season continues with the WSF Women’s Championship from 18-23 January 2025 in Morocco. Enter now via WPBSA SnookerScores.
