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2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

From Tim Dunkley
REANNE Evans is hoping for the joy of six at the women’s world snooker championships which kick off in Cambridge on Saturday (April 3).

The phenomenal 24-year-old, from Dudley, West Midlands, has already claimed a record five straight World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association world titles.

And she has won her last 57 matches on the WLBSA circuit.

Paul Wood is sponsoring the £1,000 five-day jamboree at Cambridge Snooker Centre

Evans, the number one seed, begins her campaign on Monday in the last-16

Keen to secure a first world title is world number two Maria Catalano, Ronnie O’Sullivan 28-year-old cousin.

Among the overseas players are Chitra Magimairaj (India), Natascha Niermann (Germany), Laura Alves (Dublin), Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia), and Hong Kong pair Yu Ching Ching and Jaique Ip Wan In.

The round-robin group stages will be played on Saturday and Sunday. Qualifiers meet the eight seeded players in the last-16 on Monday. The final is on Wednesday at 1.30pm.

Hannah Jones, 13, from Derby, will be bidding for a hat-trick of Junior titles on Sunday.

Non-qualifiers from the round-robins meet in the Plate on Monday. The following day it’s the Mixed Pairs. On Wednesday, the Seniors and Doubles come to a conclusion.

Billiards takes centre stage on Thursday at the Hall Green Stadium, Birmingham. Four-time champion Emma Bonney, from Portsmouth, is chasing a third successive title in the £1,000 event, also sponsored by Paul Wood.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press officer)


I will be there and take pictures for the whole event. I will also try to update results as it goes... now that might prove a bit trickier. I'm not sure about Internet connection.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

You can follow the results and players progress here http://www.worldladiessnooker.co.uk/results.html

I'm currently uploading today's pictures. So the link to that will be coming soon.
I've also be doing a whole series of "On the spot" mini interviews with the players and refs that I intend to publish ... so you can meet the girls.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby SnookerFan

I'll be supporting her to win. Despite living in London, I have family up near Dudley. Pity they don't televise these, I think the woman's game needs more exposure. There's no reason why women snooker players can't play as good as/better then their male counterparts, and I personally would be well up for watching it. <ok>

Enjoy it Monique, definately post the pictures, and let us know how it goes.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

Yesterday's highlights were:

Both Jasmine Bolsover (10) and Hannah Jones (13) qualified for the knock-out stage of the main event, the Ladies World Championship. Jasmine is so small she can't even respot the brown....
Hannah won the Junior Ladies World Championship, beating Jasmine in the final.

Heartfelt congratulations to both girls.

On a lighter note, the "on the spot" interviews are good fun. I still have do do the seeds...
And there was a ladies players vs referees "challenge" in the evening. I couldn't stay alas and take pics. But I made a few pics of the refs practising. This is done every year since ... I forgot ... but the refs never won it until now ;)

Today the seeds will enter the fray and the plate event gets underway as well.

pictures from day 2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5 ... 26758c2e54

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

Pictures from day 3 here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5 ... bb6e9df40a

No real surprises in the main event: semi finals will be played today and will be
Reanne Evans vs Katie Henrick
Maria Catalano vs Emma Bonney

The quarter between Katie Henrick and June Banks was a really hard fought gripping match that went to the final pink in the decider. For anyone who liked the 80th style matchplay and full scale tactical battles this was it.

Tatjana Vasileva from Latvia won the plate competion, Vicky Asby being runner up.

Today also we'll have the mixed doubles. Joe Perry, Michael Holt (defending with Reanne), Stuart Bingham and Martin Gould are expected.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Sickpotter

"Pity they don't televise these, I think the woman's game needs more exposure. There's no reason why women snooker players can't play as good as/better then their male counterparts, and I personally would be well up for watching it."

The reality is that the women players have not been able to cope with the males and to my recollection have never really gone any distance in a mixed field tournament.

IMO, the women don't play enough with the top male players to improve their game. If more women players had male practice partners I believe they'd go a long way towards acheiving the same skill level. You've got to practice with players better than you to improve.

That said, there must be some physiological aspect as well because there's always a womens division for each cue sport. If women were capable of playing to the same level as the men there wouldn't be the need for that.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

Yes sickpotter women need to practice with male players... BUT ... even Reanne is not accepted in some clubs near Dudley because they are "men only" and told me many men refuse to play her . This is just a small example of the prejudices and "patronising" girls picking the sport have to face. Instead of being supported, many of them are in fact bullied.
http://prosnookerblog.com/2009/11/21/so ... n-snooker/

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

Day 4 - Highlights

Maria Catalano 4-2 Emma Bonney
Reanne Evans 4-3 Katie Henrick

Katie lead 2-0 and did Reanne a real challenge.

Joe Perry and Tatjana Vasilejva won the mixed double event, beating Martin Gould and Pam Wood by 3-2. It was a very enjoyable match and very high quality also. The third frame was key: Martin and Pam were 2-0 ahead and Martin made a break of 67 ... only for Joe to steal the frame with a total clearance of 68!
Earlier Martin and Pam had defeated the defending Champions, Michael Holt and Reanne Evans by 3-1.
Martin made the only century of the tournament(s) so far. It must be said, this is organised in a club, these are club tables and there are people playing, chatting and all while matches are in progress ... so no ideal conditions.

pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5 ... 3be650b5d1
Last edited by Monique on 07 Apr 2010, edited 1 time in total.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Wildey

Men Only these Days is so out of date..

Barry should be looking in to this in the future so that Clubs are encourage to have women in to them (and not just strippers <laugh>) no seriously its possible that a woman can lift the Trophy at the Crucible this year they can Enter but they not good enough or not Really given the opertunity to improve.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

The report, in fact Tim Dunkley's press release, can be read in excellent format here
http://prosnookerblog.com/2010/04/07/re ... oy-of-six/

Thanks Tim for the detailed reporting and thanks Matt for the editorial work.

and some of the "On the spot" interviews are now uploaded here http://www.worldladiessnooker.co.uk/profiles.html
More to come though... but Mark is today with Hannah in Birmingham for the Billiard WC.
So be patient.
I will upload day 5 pics tonight.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Roland

Didn't realise Marco Fu was playing :redneck:

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and Jimmy Hill
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Is this allowed? (ipod)
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Where's he looking?
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Here's one for Snooker Backers caption contest:
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The one on the right looks a bit like Selby - is it his sister? :redneck:
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Syrup
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awww
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Reanne - 6 times ladies World Champ :bowdown:

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

Sonny wrote:Didn't realise Marco Fu was playing :redneck:
Yes, Yu Ching Ching looks so alike Marco Fu it's frightening!

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and Jimmy Hill
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Is this allowed? (ipod)
Pam was practising...
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Where's he looking?
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Here's one for Snooker Backers caption contest:
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The one on the right looks a bit like Selby - is it his sister? :redneck:
Is Selby Latvian? :redneck:
Image
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Syrup
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awww
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Reanne - 6 times ladies World Champ :bowdown:


Some comments on comments ;)

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

I think I know a couple of them. :chin:

Is the Jimmy Hill look a-like the guy who works with Janie off Global Snooker, or are they married or something? Trying to think here, been a while. :chin:

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I think I know a couple of them. :chin:

Is the Jimmy Hill look a-like the guy who works with Janie off Global Snooker, or are they married or something? Trying to think here, been a while. :chin:


No, it's Daniel Lewis, coach and referee and, I think, the owner of the club where the WC was held. That's the club (or one of the clubs) where Joe Perry and Neil Robertson practice BTW.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby PLtheRef

JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I think I know a couple of them. :chin:

Is the Jimmy Hill look a-like the guy who works with Janie off Global Snooker, or are they married or something? Trying to think here, been a while. :chin:


Its Dan Lewis, who's in charge of England's referees, including me. He reffed in Killarney

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

PLtheRef wrote:
JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I think I know a couple of them. :chin:

Is the Jimmy Hill look a-like the guy who works with Janie off Global Snooker, or are they married or something? Trying to think here, been a while. :chin:


Its Dan Lewis, who's in charge of England's referees, including me. He reffed in Killarney

Ahhh....I see. Thanks for joining the dots for me. :)

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby SnookerFan

Monique wrote:Yes sickpotter women need to practice with male players... BUT ... even Reanne is not accepted in some clubs near Dudley because they are "men only" and told me many men refuse to play her . This is just a small example of the prejudices and "patronising" girls picking the sport have to face. Instead of being supported, many of them are in fact bullied.
http://prosnookerblog.com/2009/11/21/so ... n-snooker/


As far as I can see there is absolutely no reason for gender specific snooker clubs. There is no reason why women cannot compete on the same level as men. If they pay their money, like everyone else, they should be allowed to be there. Assuming women are going to be rubbish, and not even allowing somebody of Reanne's class is absurdity of the highest order. Male or female, I can't see that a person would bother be a regular at a snooker club if they couldn't play to a certain level.

There reason why the women who play at the moment aren't on a par with the men isn't because they are women. If they aren't given the same chances as men to improve and practice in the same way men are, how are they going to improve/practice.

In the 21st century the fact that a world snooker champion is disallowed a game at her local club, purely because she is female, is an absolute disgrace in my eyes.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Sickpotter

I agree, complete shame to see women kept out of halls in this day and age. If anything, getting some women in the hall should attract a few more men.

IMO women are stuck in a catch 22 trying to get table time with their male counterparts.

They need to play against better players to improve so they need to play against the top male pros.

The male pros from the same standpoint need to play/practice against tougher opponents to hone their games so they refuse to practice with the "weaker" female opponents.

Heck, Reanne had to get married to get a male pro to practice with her ;)

Perhaps a few mixed-doubles events might push things in the right direction with regards to providing women with more chances to play against/with their male counterparts.

Re: 2010 - Ladies World Championship and mixed doubles

Postby Monique

I can only agree about the mixed doubles. We had a prime example of this this week. Pam Wood wanted to play in the mixed doubles and just did ask Martin Gould if he would accept to be her partner. They had never met, just chatted on facebook. Martin agreed blindly and they got to the final, having beaten Reanne and Michael Holt in the semis. Martin was absolutely delighted to have accepted, he said he had a great day and was impressed with the quality of the game he witnessed, much better than he expected ... and he's telling everyone on facebook!
And he'll definitely come back next year.