Baipat Is World Women’s Champion

Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn won the World Women’s Championship for the first time, beating China’s Bai Yulu 6-3 in the final to earn a place on the World Snooker Tour.

Baipat had never previously been beyond the semi-finals of the biggest tournament in women’s snooker, but this time went all the way to the Mandy Fisher Trophy, and that prize comes with a card to the professional tour for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. The 23-year-old will be one of two Thai women on the tour next season, alongside Mink Nutcharut who she knocked out in the semi-finals.

China’s 19-year-old Bai underlined her talent on her debut in the tournament, staged at the Hi End Club in Bangkok, notably making a 127 in the group phase which was the highest break in the history of the event. And the teenager started the final brightly, taking the first two frames. She led 3-2 at the interval, but the more experienced Baipat then took control, winning the next four frames for victory.

Baipat’s previous best career moment came in 2019 when she won the Women’s Snooker World Cup alongside compatriot Waratthanun Sukritthanes. She didn’t become a regular competitor on the women’s tour until last year, and has since climbed to 11th in the rankings.

She reached the final of the recent Asia-Pacific Women’s Snooker Championship so came into this week’s event with confidence. Competing in her home city of Bangkok, she finished top of her group before knocking out Jamie Hunter, Bayarsaikhan Narantuya and Nutcharut to reach the final.

VICTORIES FOR RAMACHANDRAN AND TALBOT-DEEGAN

Alongside the main World Championship, the five-day event also saw the latest staging of the World Women’s Under-21 and Seniors Championships, with a new winner crowned in each competition.

India’s Anupama Ramachanran capped a week to remember as just days on from her victory at the Women’s Snooker World Cup, the Chennai cueist ended the reign of two-time defending champion Ploychompoo Laokiatphong with a 3-2 victory in the Under-21 competition.

The 20-year-old had already accounted for Sophie Nix, Saravalee Songsermsawad and Bai Yulu to reach the final, before she came back from 1-2 down to end Laokiatphong’s bid for a hat-trick of junior world titles.

There was also a maiden victory for England’s Mary Talbot-Deegan in the Seniors Championship as she defeated 2017 World Championship finalist Vidya Pillai 3-1 in the final.

Competing in the event for the first time, 42-year-old Talbot-Deegan reached the final with victories against Altangerel Bolortuya of Mongolia and India’s Pooja Galundia, while Pillai accounted for defending champion Tessa Davidson and former world number one Maria Catalano to reach the title match.

The opening frames were shared as Pillai top scored with a run of 59 in the second frame, but it was to be Talbot-Deegan who would not be denied as she won the following two frames to claim her maiden world title and second Seniors crown in total.

Finally, there was also victory for India’s Amee Kamani in the final of the Challenge Cup, for players who did not reach the last 16 of the main competition. She defeated Waratthanun Sukritthanes of Thailand 3-2 in the final and also compiled the highest break of the Challenge with a run of 71.

World Women’s Snooker would like to thank all of our partners who helped to make the tournament possible, including the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand and Hi-End Snooker Club.

There is one event remaining of the 2022/23 season as the Tour returns to the UK for the staging of the British Open at the Landywood Snooker Club from 13-14 May. Entry for the event is still open HERE.