Women's World Championships 2012

[snookerdad]

WORLD number one Maria Catalano meets Latvia’s Tatjana Vasiljeva in the last four of the women’s world championships at Cambridge Snooker Centre tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10.30am.

In the second semi, seven-time world champion Reanne Evans faces Katie Henrick.

Both matches are best-of-seven frames. The best-of-nine final kicks off four hours later at 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, Revanna Umadevi (India) clinched the Seniors trophy and Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton) triumphed in the Plate.

KNOCKOUT (BREAKS)

LAST-16 (£40): Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids) (64) beat Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds) 3-0, Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs) beat Suzie Opacic (Brambridge, Hants) 3-2, Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia) (47) beat Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong) (36) 3-1, Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong) (33) beat Ng On Yee (Hong Kong) (37) 3-1, Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids) (39, 51, 47) beat Chitra Magimairaj (India) 3-0, So Man Yan (Hong Kong) beat Natascha Niermann (Cambridge) 3-1, Katie Henrick (Bickley, Kent) (32, 35) beat Jenny Poulter (Maidstone) 3-0, Emma Bonney (Portsmouth) (38, 62, 84) beat Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford) 3-1.

QUARTER-FINALS (£80): Catalano beat Palmius 3-1, Vasiljeva (59) beat Yu 3-2, Evans (47) beat So 3-0, Henrick beat Bonney 3-1.

SEMI-FINALS (£120): Catalano v Vasiljeva, Evans v Henrick.

FINAL (£450/£225):

SENIORS

QUARTER-FINALS: Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs) beat Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear) 2-0, Revanna Umadevi (India) beat Jan Hughes (St Neots, Cambs) 2-1, Jenny Poulter (Maidstone) beat Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford) 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS: Palmius beat Martina Lumsden (Eastbourne) 2-1, Umadevi beat Poulter 2-1.

FINAL (£80/£40): Umadevi beat Palmius 2-0.

PLATE

QUARTER-FINALS: Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton) beat Martina Lumsden (Eastbourne) 2-0, Jan Hughes (St Neots, Cambs) beat Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear) 2-0, Revanna Umadevi (India) beat Marianne Williams (Smallfield, Surrey) 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Owen-Sevilton w/o Naomi Clare (Ripley, Derbys), Umadevi beat Hughes 2-0.

FINAL (£80/£40): Owen-Sevilton beat Umadevi 3-0.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press officer)

[Tom Read]

Out of interest, how comes this is played at Cambridge Snooker Centre? I ask as it's my local club that I play at regularly and there is no real spectator areas other than around the edges or dead in the middle, and that can only be about 10 people! I mean I don't really know about Women's snooker much but is there not the fanbase to fill a small arena?

How many people have been there watching? I'm wondering if it will make the place a bit more popular, as it's a lovely place but is rarely busy, maybe 4 or 5 tables being used at most.

[snookerdad]

Hi Tom

Sadly, the fanbase couldn't make it this year.

Tim

[wyt147]

Exciting stuff happening at the Worlds today. Will wait for Tim to put his excellent appraisal together after the results come in. Shame it isnt being streamed!

[philip in china]

So a few breaks there over 70. Is the break building improving or is it my imagination. Do you have any stats?

[wyt147]

It has improved with a century in the semi final. As I said I shall await Tims update.

[snookerdad]

REANNE Evans ended her “up-and-down” season with a record eighth successive women’s world snooker championship title.

The 26-year-old, who had been kept off the green baize for three months after being struck down with pleurisy, defeated Maria Catalano 5-3 in the final at Cambridge Snooker Centre.

“I’m just happy I’ve won,” declared Evans. “For three months, I didn’t even look at my cue – let alone pick it up. I was in too much pain.

“Touch wood, I’m over it now and, hopefully, there’s better things to come.”

It was first blood to 30-year-old Catalano as she took a tense opening frame on the blue. But the Dudley pair went into the mid-session interval all square at 2-2.

After the break, Evans put together a run of 50 and then won an epic safety battle to lead 4-2.

Still determined to fulfill her dream of a first world title, Catalano pulled one back with a 48 clearance to win on the black.

However, one scrappy frame later, Evans was crowned world champion.

“I struggled in the final,” admitted Evans, after claiming her 31st ranking title on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association circuit. “But I gritted my teeth and stuck in there.

“(Maria) probably played the best overall. She played well all week. She’s had a great season but it just wasn’t meant to be.

“I tried to hang on as long as I could and thought, hopefully, things would turn my way – and they did.

“People know that I can play and I’ve been number one and I’ve won it for the last seven years, so you’ve always got the expectation. I know I can win, even with my B game, which I proved this year. But it’s still hard to live up to the task.”

Catalano, who had ended Evans’ record 90-match winning streak back in September and beaten her again in the Connie Gough Memorial, said: “I’m a bit gutted because I don’t feel there was much in it.

“Deep down, I feel I was probably the better player. It was just down to a few crucial balls. I didn’t play fantastic in the final but I felt good.

“I know I’m more than capable of winning the tournament. I’ll be back next year. I’ll keep trying. I’ll be here until the day I die. I’ll never give up.”

Despite the agony of a third world championship final defeat, Catalano ended the season as world number one.

And she pocketed the £100 high-break prize for a 116 clearance in the opening frame of her 4-2 semi-final victory over Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia).

Frame scores (Evans first): 39-73, 75-42, 70-54, 25-70, 66(50)-8, 63-33, 54(47)-57(48), 60-38.

Tomorrow, it's the turn of the three-ball wizards.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press officer)

[snookerdad]

India's Revanna Umadevi beat Emma Bonney in today's final.

Scores and details to follow tomorrow.

[snookerdad]

REVANNA Umadevi flew back to India on cloud nine after clinching her first billiards world championship.

The three-ball aficionado ended Emma Bonney’s bid for a fifth successive World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association title at Cambridge Snooker Centre.

Umadevi, 47, the 2011 Indian Ladies National Billiards Champion, trailed the defending champion from Portsmouth in the early stages but dug in and gradually built up a lead.

WLBSA chairman Brian Harvey said: “Revanna just chipped away. She’s a very, very good billiards player. She’s no mug. She played a very nice controlled game of billiards.

And he added: “On the day, Emma had played very well.”

In the semi-finals, Umadevi beat her compatriot Chitra Magimairaj, who claimed the title in 2006 and 2007, and Bonney accounted for Somerset’s Tina Owen-Sevilton.

RESULTS (BREAKS)

ROUND-ROBIN (45-MINUTE MATCHES): Revanna Umadevi (India) beat Tina Owen-Sevilton (Somerset) 161(41, 35)-78, Emma Bonney (Portsmouth) beat Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs) 182(37)-114, Chitra Magimairaj (India) beat Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear) 183-43, Bonney beat Rowland 368(30, 48, 48, 81)-26, Magimairaj beat Owen-Sevilton 128-123, Umadevi beat Palmius 189-29, Umadevi beat Rowland 169(64)-59, Bonney beat Magimairaj 209(38)-91, Owen-Sevilton beat Palmius 163-87, Owen-Sevilton beat Rowland 251-50, Magimairaj beat Palmius 114-107, Umadevi beat Bonney 140-117, Bonney beat Owen-Sevilton 225-114, Palmius beat Rowland 154-30, Umadevi beat Magimairaj 126-115.

SEMI-FINALS (45-MINUTE MATCHES): Umadevi beat Magimairaj 130-80, Bonney beat Owen-Sevilton 281(37, 41, 37)-94

FINAL (ONE-HOUR MATCH): Umadevi beat Bonney 201-143(31).

PLATE

FINAL (30-MINUTE MATCH): Palmius beat Rowland 141-28.

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press officer)