Hong Kong's snooker queen Ng defends British Open crown

Hong Kong's snooker queen Ng On-yee has defeated World No. 1 Mink Nutcharut of Thailand to complete the successful defense of her title at the British Open in Walsall, England. She has now claimed 22 ranking event titles on the women's circuit.

Ng's 4-3 victory in the final is her second ranking crown of the season following her success at the US Open last August, further consolidating her position in second place in the world rankings.

The 34-year-old was close to her best throughout the weekend as she scored four of the top five breaks during the tournament, including a near-flawless century break of 113 during her quarter-final victory against compatriot So Man Yan on Sunday.

Ng’s wins against England’s Laura Killington, So, and Thailand’s Narucha Phoemphul send her into her first ranking event final since the Australian Open final last October.

Commenting on her win, the Hong Kong athlete said there are still many areas for improvement, and she will start preparing for the World Championships in May upon returning to Hong Kong.

The Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong said apart from Ng, 20-year-old Chan Wai-lam secured the runner-up position in the U21 category.

It also noted that all six Hong Kong female players sent to play in the tournament have advanced to the knockout stages, which carries great significance as billiard sports recently just retained its Tier A elite status.

(Marco Lam)