Hong Kong snooker star Ng On-yee keeps her cool for crucial Women’s British Open with tour card on the line
- World No 3 Ng must win the tournament, or outperform her great rival Reanne Evans to stay on the World Snooker Tour
- ‘The focus is to be the everyday On-yee and hopefully the result will take care of itself,’ the 32-year-old says
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Hong Kong snooker star Ng On-yee is keeping her cool ahead of what is potentially a win-or-bust British Women’s Open this weekend.
The 32-year-old must outperform her great rival Reanne Evans at the ninth and final ranking tournament of the season to retain her place on the World Snooker Tour (WST) professional circuit.
“I am sure there is going to be pressure,” Ng – who has reached the finals of both the UK Championship and Masters on the World Women’s Snooker (WWS) tour this season – said.
“But the focus will always be to play my best game and try to win every match despite the [uncertainty surrounding her] tour card.”
The WWS has been recognised as an official pathway to the WST since 2021, which saw both Evans and Ng turn professional from the start of the 2021-22 season, followed by Mink Nutcharut of Thailand and the England’s Rebecca Kenna a year later.
While another two places are on offer for the 2023-24 season via the WWS pathway, one is already taken by Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn, who triumphed at the World Women’s Championship in March.
That leaves only one remaining spot up for grabs, which will be decided by the final WWS Tour rankings at the end of play at Landywood Snooker Club.
The world No 3 Ng flew to the UK earlier this week to “make sure jet lag and the rest won’t kick in” and has been practising for the final showdown.
“Just making sure I have adequate table time and physical training, as usual, to keep myself sharp,” she said. “I’d say more effort [should be made] on trying to make it as ordinary as possible than to prepare extra.”
Ng is currently 1,750 points behind Evans in the rankings, and victory at the event would ensure she would leapfrog the Briton, regardless of how the six-time champion fares at the tournament.
Hong Kong’s Ng would need to reach the final to overhaul her long-time rival, if Evans were to fall at the quarterfinals. If 12-time world champion Evans suffers an unlikely fall at the first hurdle with a last-16 exit, then Ng needs to reach the semi-finals to finish ahead of her.
Ng has been in fine form lately, scoring her first professional century of 115 – the highest by a woman in the event’s history – despite losing 10-8 to Michael Holt in the opening round of qualification for the World Championship in April.
“Snooker is tricky and you may have it yesterday, or even an hour ago, but not later,” she said. “That is what makes the game fun and difficult.
“I am definitely more comfortable out there comparing to years back but again the focus is to be the ‘everyday’ On-yee and hopefully the result will take care of itself.”
For Evans, a record-extending seventh title would ensure the 37-year-old would seal a place on the pro tour for the third time in her career.
A run to the semi-finals or the final would still be sufficient, unless Ng were to win the British Open title for the first time this weekend.
Evans Ng, world No 1 Mink and reigning world champ Siripaporn are all seeded and will start in the last 16, with the remaining players separated into 12 groups of four.
The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stage, which will begin on Saturday evening local time.
