Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee stuns reigning women’s snooker world champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai, wins Winchester Open title
- The 31-year-old picks up second trophy this season after defeating Thai player Nutcharut Wongharuthai 4-0 in the final
- Ng plays Rory McLeod of Jamaica in her World Championship qualifier on Tuesday
The 31-year-old gave herself the perfect confidence boost ahead of her World Championship qualifier on Tuesday, cruising to a 4-0 win over Nutcharut in Leicester.
Ng’s victory was her second at a ranking event this year, after her success at the Eden Women’s Masters last November, and her 17th ranking title on the world tour.
“I am the champion of the 2022 Winchester Women’s Open and this is my second ladies’ ranking event title for the season,” Ng said.
“It is definitely a booster for my coming World Championship qualifiers and I am really looking forward to it.”
Ng, who has obtained a two-year wild card entry on the men’s tour, will take on Rory McLeod of Jamaica in the first qualifying round at the English Institute of Sport. If she wins, Ng would then face former world champion Ken Doherty.
Compatriot Marco Fu Ka-chun, who is making a return to the professional circuit after two years, will also attempt to qualify for the main tournament at the Crucible, and takes on England’s Ian Burns in his opening match.
Fu, a two-time World Championship semi-finalist, only returned to the UK in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, and has seen his world ranking drop as a result.
In the first qualifying round, players ranked 81 to 112 are drawn at random against those seeded 113 to 144, with the 32 winners then facing those ranked 49-80 in the second round.
Having started the Leicester tournament in the last 16 stage as the world No 2, Ng dropped just two frames on her way to the final, dispatching Harriet Haynes, Rebecca Kenna and Ploychompoo Laokiatphong with a top break of 92.
Mink had also been in imperious form throughout the day, hitting breaks of 126 and 103 during victories over Mary Talbot-Deegan, Jamie Hunter and world No 1 Reanne Evans to reach her third consecutive ranking final.
At the women’s World Championship in February, it was Mink who edged a close contest with Ng on the final black at the quarter-final stage, but this time Ng dominated the final to seal her latest ranking crown.
The victory ensured the Hongkonger retains her spot when the season-ending world rankings are updated after the tournament.
It also means Ng has won two or more ranking tournaments during a season for the fifth time in her career.
