China teen Bai Yulu too young to travel alone but is already eyeing world snooker domination
- The 16-year-old world under-21 women’s champion stuns third-ranked Rebecca Kenna, of England, at the Hong Kong World Women’s Masters
- Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee, world champion Reanne Evans and Thailand’s Mink are also through to the quarter-finals
At just 16, Bai Yulu is prevented from travelling abroad without one of her parents. Once the shackles are off, though, the Dongguan-native plans to take on the world.
She has already done it at under-21 level, having claimed the junior world title in Pingdu, Qindgao in July. And on Friday, she showed just how comfortable she was playing against the world’s top players when she beat third-ranked Englishwoman Rebecca Kenna 3-0 in their group A clash at the Hong Kong World Women’s Masters at the General Snooker Club in Kowloon.
Accompanied in Hong Kong by her mother Liu Dongling, Bai dominated her pool without dropping a frame, having beaten Hong Kong’s Cheung Yee-ting and So Man-yan by 3-0 scorelines on Thursday.
“I feel cold,” said Bai following her win, complaining about the air conditioning as she sipped a hot cup of tea.
“I’m happy to be here and playing in these competitions because we don’t get that much chance.
“I’ve played tournaments in Asia but because of my age, it is difficult to play abroad because as a 16-year-old, getting visas is difficult until I am 18. I’m looking forward to playing more against not only the best women but the men as well.”