Video Feed - click here - Live 8th April
World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association - press release

GREEN-baize queens from around the globe descend on Bury St Edmunds this week for the Greene King World Ladies Snooker Championship.

It’s the first time the Suffolk market town has hosted the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association’s season finale.

Main Tour professionals Joe Perry, Michael Holt and Martin Gould make guest appearances on Friday (April 8) in the World Mixed Pairs, which kicks off six days of top-quality action at the Pot Black Sports Bar. 

The round-robin stage of the main competition starts at 10am on Saturday (April 9) with the final scheduled for noon on Wednesday (April 13).

The eventual champion will pocket £1,000 and the runner-up £500. Prize money will also be paid down to the last-16. 

Red-hot favourite Reanne Evans is bidding for a record seventh straight world title. And to extend her record 84-match unbeaten run on the WLBSA circuit

Attempting to de-throne the undisputed world number one are world number two Maria Catalano, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 29-year-old cousin; Portsmouth’s Emma Bonney, who is also seeking a fourth successive billiards title; and Kent’s Katie Henrick, who is ranked fourth.

Leading the overseas threat is Hong Kong’s impressive 20-year-old Ng On Yee, the 2009 and 2010 IBSF Women’s World Champion. 

Also flying in from Hong Kong are Jaique Ip Wan In, who lost to Ng in the 2010 IBSF final, Yu Ching Ching and So Man Yan.

Two-time world billiards champion Chitra Magimairaj, who jets in from India, said her biggest motivation was seeing her home country winning cricket’s world cup. Magimairaj is joined in Bury St Edmunds by her compatriot Revanna Umadevi.

Spearheading the European challenge is Latvian number one Tatjana Vasiljeva and eight-time German national champion Natascha Niermann, now based in Cambridge.

From the world of pool comes England international Fran Calvert and two-time European champion Kim O’Brien. 

Favourite to clinch a fourth straight junior title is the phenomenal 14-year-old Derby schoolgirl Hannah Jones, the world number six.

Ron Agnew is sponsoring the billiards to the tune of £600. The eventual champion will also receive a year’s free subscription to all English-Billiards Open Series (EBOS) tournaments, a package worth £200. Website englishBilliards.org is offering £100 for the highest break.

Greene King World Ladies Snooker Championship
Friday, April 8, to Wednesday, April 13
Pot Black Sports Bar (manager: Phil Mumford)
Bury St Edmunds
Eastgate Street
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1YQ
Tel: 01284 704231
PROGRAMME

Friday April 8
11:00 World Mixed Pairs competition
18:00 World Mixed Pairs Final

Saturday April 9
10:00 to 18:00 World Ladies Snooker round-robin groups (excluding top 8 seeds)

Sunday April 10
11:00 World Ladies Snooker round-robin groups (excluding top 8 seeds)
15:00 World Ladies Juniors
15:00 World Ladies Seniors


Monday April 11
11:00 Plate Competition
11:30 World Ladies Last 16 (best-of-five)
15:30 World Ladies Quarter Finals (best-of-seven)

Tuesday April 12
10:00 World Ladies Billiards
11:00 World Ladies Quarter Finals (best-of-seven)

Wednesday April 13
11:00 World Ladies Seniors Final
11:00 World Ladies Doubles Final
12:00 World Ladies Snooker Final (best-of-nine)

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Reanne Evans
MIXED PAIRS: Tatjana Vasiljeva & Joe Perry
WORLD DOUBLES: Tatjana Vasiljeva & Maureen Rowland
WORLD SENIORS: June Banks
WORLD JUNIOR: Hannah Jones
WORLD BILLIARDS: Emma Bonney

2011 WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS ENTRIES


Top eight seeds
Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids) - current champion
Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Katie Henrick (Bickley, Kent)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Jenny Poulter (Maidstone)
Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford)
Hannah Jones (Derby)


Marianne Williams (Smallfield, Surrey)
June Banks (Orpington, Kent)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)
Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton)
Natascha Niermann (Cambridge)
Pam Wood (Newcastle)
Naomi Clare (Ripley, Derbys)
Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear)
Jasmine Bolsover (Woking)
Jan Hughes (St Neots, Cambs)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Chitra Magimairaj (India)
Revanna Umadevi (India)
Yu Ching Ching (Hong Kong)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Kim O’Brien (Bury St Edmunds)
Fran Calvert (Lowestoft)
Vicky Carter (Hemel Hempstead)


2011 WORLD BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES


Emma Bonney (Portsmouth) - current champion
Chitra Magimairaj (India)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Tina Owen-Sevilton (Taunton)
Jan Hughes (St Neots, Cambs)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)
Maureen Rowland (Wallsend, Tyne & Wear)
Revanna Umadevi (India)

Picture by Monique Limbos:

Six-time world champion Reanne Evans at the 2010 World Championships.

More details and action shots of most of the ladies available from:

Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press office)                                                                                           
88 Lionheart Way
Bursledon Green
Southampton
SO31 8HN
Tel home: 02380 562647
Mobile: 07986 376114
E-Mail: timdunkleysnookerdad@hotmail.com