WORLD number one Maria Catalano ended a marathon 13-hour day on the women's snooker circuit as champion of her "special tournament" for the fourth time.
Five days after turning 30, Catalano swept past Hong Kong star Jaique Ip Wan In to claim the Connie Gough Memorial trophy at Jesters Snooker Hall, Swindon. Her 3-0 victory avenged a last-16 defeat in last month's Southern Classic.
It was her third title this season on the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association tour and an eighth in total. But it's the Connie Gough, which she also won three times between 2006 and 2008, that she holds dear to her heart.
There was no easy return to the circuit for seven-time world champion Reanne Evans, who had been laid low with pleurisy. The Connie Gough champion for the last three years came up against Catalano in the preliminary round and lost 3-2. Catalano, from Dudley, West Midlands, said: "It's always good to play Reanne. We've had some good matches over the years.
Ip Wan In, also a beaten finalist at the Southern Classic, accounted for world number eight Katie Henrick 3-2 in the last-four. In the second semi, Catalano overcame Ip Wan In's compatriot Ng On Yee 3-0. Ng had beaten Southern Classic champion Emma Bonney 3-0 in the last-16. Evans, who had slipped to joint third in the rankings with pregnant Vicky Carter, did return to winning ways in the Plate.
The 26-year-old from Dudley, West Midlands, compiled a 91 break against the home club's Jodie Symes and rounded off eight winning frames with a 2-0 victory over Tina Owen-Sevilton (Somerset) in the final. Jan Hughes (St Neots, Cambs) picked up her first Seniors (40+) trophy of the season, beating Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts) in the final. And Hampshire's Suzie Opacic defeated Symes to collect the Shield (under-40) trophy. The sixth and final leg of the 2011/12 WLBSA tour is the Greene King World Championships in Bury St Edmunds in April. - http://www.worldsnooker.com/
0 comments:
Post a Comment