Ng On-yee has the right stuff, says men's snooker world champion Stuart Bingham
But Englishman says the 24-year-old Hong Kong star needs to play against the top men in order to become among the best
Hong Kong women's star Ng On-yee can be as good as the top men's players - but she needs more match experience, says men's world champion Stuart Bingham.
In one of the few sports that offers a level playing field between men and women such as the World Snooker Championship, 39-year-old Bingham said Ng could one day rival the top men's players if she competed against them on a regularly in competition.
Bingham, who won his maiden world title last month, made these comments after defeating Ng 4-1 in an exhibition match billed the "Clash of the World Champions" held in Ivan Snooker in Mong Kok.
Watch: Hong Kong's Ng On-yee in a face-off against Stuart Bingham
Ng became the first Hong Kong player to lift the women's world title in April, and she hopes to emulate England's 10-time world women's champion Reanne Evans, who competed in the qualifying rounds of the men's world championship in Sheffield in April.
The Englishman praised 24-year-old Ng, but said it would take years before the Hong Kong star can reach the level of the top men. "She just has to play more games against better top players," said Bingham.
"I've grown up practising with the likes of Steve Davis, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark King. If you can learn off better players, that is the way forward."
Bingham supported female players joining ranking competitions and major tournaments normally reserved for the men.
"The doors were opened for Reanne Evans, so why not for everyone else?
"It all depends on Barry Hearn [World Snooker chairman] and what he wants to do with the game. If he feels like it's good for the game, then he will do it," he said.
"There's no reason why women shouldn't be as good as the men [in snooker]. All it is is mental attitude, so hopefully someone like Ng On-yee can compete with the men and boost the game forward, especially for the ladies."
Watch: Snooker world champion Hong Kong's Zoe Ng On-yee on how it all got started
The doors were opened for Reanne Evans, so why not for everyone else?
Ng, who failed to win a frame in her previous challenges against mainland China's Liang Wenbo and James Wattana of Thailand, was satisfied with her performance, saying it was a step in the right direction.
"I think I played pretty well overall," said the Tai Po resident, who won the fourth frame 68-41 against Bingham.
"I was very nervous as I didn't have many chances to play against the top men."
Bingham was in Hong Kong after competing in the World Cup in Wuxi, China. He will take part in the Goldfields Open in Bendigo, Australia, next week.
