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HONG Kong snooker star Ng On Yee was delighted with her second tournament win on the women’s circuit this season.
But the 23-year-old insists her “ultimate goal” is to compete against men as a professional.
Ng accounted for world number one Maria Catalano 4-1 in the final of the G2S Group-sponsored Southern Classic, the fourth leg of the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association tour.
A tight and well-fought match at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, swung on the two-time IBSF women’s world champion’s ability to find excellent pots at critical times.
Her great long green to land perfectly on the brown and take a 3-1 lead was declared “shot of the match” by coach Wayne Griffiths.
“I am very pleased to have won my second WLBSA event this season,” said Ng, who claimed the UK Championship last November and has leapfrogged nine-time World Champion Reanne Evans into second spot.
“To beat the number-one ranked player in the final gives me a lot of confidence and I will use this to continue to work hard to improve my game.”
As well as preparing for the WLBSA Eden Resources World Championships in April, Ng is looking forward to the Asian Players Tour Championship (APTC) leg in China next month.
“I want to continue to do well in all ladies events,” she said. “But my ultimate goal is to compete on the men’s tour.
“(The fourth APTC event) will give me the opportunity to see how much work I have to do to reach this level. I know it will be very difficult but I look forward to the challenge.”
Three Hong Kong players - Ng, So Man Yan and Jaique Ip Wan In - made the semi-finals and their compatriot and WLBSA débutante Wan Ka Kai beat former European Champion Tatjana Vasiljeva 3-1 in the last-16.
Griffiths, head coach at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and son of the 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths, said: “This event offers us further proof that we are moving forward with our ladies squad.
“It’s a pleasing testament that the hard work from the players in training and competition is starting to pay off.”
Ng stressed the importance of the squad’s support from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Hong Kong Billiards Sports Control Council and added: “I’m very pleased that all our players did so well in this competition to show we can continue to compete well at international level.”
Elsewhere, Derby teenager Hannah Jones posted an impressive 66 break in her 2-0 Plate final victory over Laura Evans, from Neath Port Talbot.
And the 17-year-old world number five defeated Swindon’s Jodie Symes, 19, and Woking’s Jasmine Bolsover, 14, to claim the Under-21 title.
Jones split the £40 high-break prize with Catalano, who compiled a 66 in the last-four.
G2S Group are specialists in double and tripled glazed windows and doors.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
LAST-16: Jasmine Bolsover beat Jodie Symes 3-1, So Man Yan walkover Vicky Gibbs, Yu Ching Ching beat Hannah Jones 3-1, Jaique Ip Wan In beat Vicky Carter 3-1, Wan Ka Kai beat Tatjana Vasiljeva 3-1, Laura Evans walkover Emma Bonney, Ng On Yee (30) beat Gaye Jones 3-0.
QUARTER-FINALS: Maria Catalano (30, 53) beat Bolsover (30) 3-1, So (35) beat Yu 3-1, Ip Wan In beat Wan 3-0, Ng (38) beat Evans 3-0.
SEMI-FINALS (£70): Catalano (36, 66) beat So 3-0, Ng (48, 38) beat Ip Wan In (45) 3-2.
FINAL (£260/£140): Ng beat Catalano (48) 4-1.
PLATE
QUARTER-FINALS: Tatjana Vasiljeva beat Jodie Symes 2-0, Laura Evans beat Vicky Carter 2-0, Hannah Jones (41) beat Jasmine Bolsover 2-1, Wan Ka Kai beat Yu Ching Ching 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS: Evans (35) beat Vasiljeva 2-0, Jones beat Wan 2-0.
FINAL (£30/£15): Jones (66) beat Evans 2-0.
UNDER-21
ROUND ROBIN: Hannah Jones beat Jodie Symes 2-0, Jasmine Bolsover drew with Symes 1-1, Jones beat Bolsover 2-0.
Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press office)
But the 23-year-old insists her “ultimate goal” is to compete against men as a professional.
Ng accounted for world number one Maria Catalano 4-1 in the final of the G2S Group-sponsored Southern Classic, the fourth leg of the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association tour.
A tight and well-fought match at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon, swung on the two-time IBSF women’s world champion’s ability to find excellent pots at critical times.
Her great long green to land perfectly on the brown and take a 3-1 lead was declared “shot of the match” by coach Wayne Griffiths.
“I am very pleased to have won my second WLBSA event this season,” said Ng, who claimed the UK Championship last November and has leapfrogged nine-time World Champion Reanne Evans into second spot.
“To beat the number-one ranked player in the final gives me a lot of confidence and I will use this to continue to work hard to improve my game.”
As well as preparing for the WLBSA Eden Resources World Championships in April, Ng is looking forward to the Asian Players Tour Championship (APTC) leg in China next month.
“I want to continue to do well in all ladies events,” she said. “But my ultimate goal is to compete on the men’s tour.
“(The fourth APTC event) will give me the opportunity to see how much work I have to do to reach this level. I know it will be very difficult but I look forward to the challenge.”
Three Hong Kong players - Ng, So Man Yan and Jaique Ip Wan In - made the semi-finals and their compatriot and WLBSA débutante Wan Ka Kai beat former European Champion Tatjana Vasiljeva 3-1 in the last-16.
Griffiths, head coach at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and son of the 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths, said: “This event offers us further proof that we are moving forward with our ladies squad.
“It’s a pleasing testament that the hard work from the players in training and competition is starting to pay off.”
Ng stressed the importance of the squad’s support from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Hong Kong Billiards Sports Control Council and added: “I’m very pleased that all our players did so well in this competition to show we can continue to compete well at international level.”
Elsewhere, Derby teenager Hannah Jones posted an impressive 66 break in her 2-0 Plate final victory over Laura Evans, from Neath Port Talbot.
And the 17-year-old world number five defeated Swindon’s Jodie Symes, 19, and Woking’s Jasmine Bolsover, 14, to claim the Under-21 title.
Jones split the £40 high-break prize with Catalano, who compiled a 66 in the last-four.
G2S Group are specialists in double and tripled glazed windows and doors.
RESULTS (BREAKS)
LAST-16: Jasmine Bolsover beat Jodie Symes 3-1, So Man Yan walkover Vicky Gibbs, Yu Ching Ching beat Hannah Jones 3-1, Jaique Ip Wan In beat Vicky Carter 3-1, Wan Ka Kai beat Tatjana Vasiljeva 3-1, Laura Evans walkover Emma Bonney, Ng On Yee (30) beat Gaye Jones 3-0.
QUARTER-FINALS: Maria Catalano (30, 53) beat Bolsover (30) 3-1, So (35) beat Yu 3-1, Ip Wan In beat Wan 3-0, Ng (38) beat Evans 3-0.
SEMI-FINALS (£70): Catalano (36, 66) beat So 3-0, Ng (48, 38) beat Ip Wan In (45) 3-2.
FINAL (£260/£140): Ng beat Catalano (48) 4-1.
PLATE
QUARTER-FINALS: Tatjana Vasiljeva beat Jodie Symes 2-0, Laura Evans beat Vicky Carter 2-0, Hannah Jones (41) beat Jasmine Bolsover 2-1, Wan Ka Kai beat Yu Ching Ching 2-0.
SEMI-FINALS: Evans (35) beat Vasiljeva 2-0, Jones beat Wan 2-0.
FINAL (£30/£15): Jones (66) beat Evans 2-0.
UNDER-21
ROUND ROBIN: Hannah Jones beat Jodie Symes 2-0, Jasmine Bolsover drew with Symes 1-1, Jones beat Bolsover 2-0.
Tim Dunkley (WLBSA press office)
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