Historically, snooker has been seen as a men's game, with female players generally being perceived as inferior. The recent success of Asian female players has created a new generation of stars in snooker, and women's snooker is on the rise.
In 2019, Australia held the first women’s ranking event. It was won by Nutcharut Wongharuthai, who is believed to be the first woman to achieve a 147 break. She was born in 1999 and is eligible to play on the next season of the World Snooker Tour.
Chitra Sri Krishnamurthy is another Asian woman snooker player. She was the first Indian woman to win Australian Open Snooker Championship (2008). She also won in 2011 the six-red Snooker Championship. Her first appearance in the Eden World Ladies Senior Championships was in 2014. She also reached the finals of the Eden World Ladies Senior Championships.
Reanne Evans is the world's #1 lady snooker player. She has won ten international titles and is the current world champion. She has been invited wildcard to play on the men's touring in 2010/11. For her contributions to snooker, she was also awarded an MBE.
Reanne Evans was born in Dudley, West Midlands. She started playing pool at age 14 and has since gone on to become a professional snooker player. She has won eight titles in billiards or ball pool, as well as snooker. She currently holds the title of World Pool Champion. She has also won the European Masters and is the most successful female player in the UK.
Evans, who was seven and a quarter months pregnant, won the ladies world title in 2006. She was the first female to reach the main stages at a ranking event. She qualified for China's Wuxi Classic, where she defeated Thailand's Thepchaiya UN-Nooh 5-4.
Evans has been the number one world snooker player for the past ten years. She has won ten world titles and received an MBE for her services to snooker. She was also granted a wildcard invitation to participate on the professional tour in the 2010/11 season. She will compete for the UK in the final stages. She will play world number two Neil Robertson during the first round.
Reanne MacIlroy, Reanne Evans, Emma Bonney and Kelly Fisher are some the most prominent female players in the world. They all were former world number one players, and they are among the most outstanding snooker players in history. According to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, there is no gender barrier in snooker. Currently, only two women are ranked in the top 30 of the men's world rankings. But if the next generation of female stars can challenge the world's best players, the future of women's snooker should be bright.
There are many skilled lady snooker player around the world and the future looks bright. The sport has been growing in the United States, as well in other countries. Mike Dominguez from OX Billiards Seattle hopes to bring the sport to the United States.