Top Seeds Through To Last Eight in Changping
Just eight players remain in the race to lift the Mandy Fisher Trophy and earn a place on the World Snooker Tour at the World Women’s Snooker Championship in Dongguan Changping.
Following four days of action which has seen 45 women and girls from around the globe take to the baize, the group stages have now been completed, as well as a preliminary knockout round and the last 16.
There will now be one round played during each of the next three days, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals to be played across two sessions at 12pm and 4pm, ahead of Sunday’s all-important title match.
The draw is headed by home favourite Bai Yulu, who has impressed with 17 breaks of over 30 from her five matches played so far. The 20-year-old currently holds the tournament high score with her run of 113 against Chu Pui Ying on Tuesday and will be looking to go one better than in 2023 and lift the title for the first time come Sunday.
Her next opponent will be Katrina Wan of Hong Kong China, who defeated compatriot Yee Ting Cheug 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the third time in her career and first since 2017. The former Australian Open finalist returned to the Tour earlier this season following a five-year break and has so far had a strong week which has included victories against Emma Parker and Amee Kamani.
The second match in the top half will be an all-English affair between Reanne Evans and Mary Talbot, after the pair came through in contrasting fashion on Thursday.
Record 12-time champion Evans kept her hopes of a first world title for five years on track after she ended the reign of last year’s winner Baipat Siripaporn with a 4-0 whitewash, having progressed from the group stages with two century breaks along the way.
She will now await Talbot, who having finished her group in second place, defeated Jaique Ip Wan In during the preliminary knockout round, before coming through a hard-fought contest against friend and rival Tessa Davidson 4-3 in the last 16. The run equals Talbot’s career-best run at the tournament, having previously reached the last eight back in 1997.
In the bottom half of the draw three-time world champion Ng On Yee is through to the quarter-finals for the first time in two years and is yet to drop a frame during the week.
Looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since she won the event previously in 2018, the Hong Kong China star will face India’s Anupama Ramachandran, who is through to her fourth consecutive ranking event quarter-final on Tour and first at the World Championship.
The final match-up will see 2022 world champion Mink Nutcharut of Thailand face debutant Han Fang for a place in the semi-finals. With 16 frames won from 16, Nutcharut remains on course for what would be a second world title in three years and came through a deceptively close contest against world number four Rebecca Kenna on Thursday evening.
China’s Han Fang has impressed during the week by reaching the final of the Seniors competition, as well as scoring a notable victory against Baipat Siripaporn during the round robin stage.
The action continues on Friday, while you can also read our report from the Under-21 and Seniors finals HERE.
