Snooker was historically viewed as a game for men, and female players were generally considered to be 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.
2019 was the year of Australia's first women-ranked 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 already eligible to compete on the professional World Snooker Tour next season.
Chitra Krishnamurthy, a Asian lady snooker champion, is another. She became the first Indian woman to win the Australian Open Snooker Championship in 2008. She also won in 2011 the six-red Snooker Championship. Her debut appearance in 2014 at the Eden World Ladies Senior Championships marked her second appearance. She reached the final of Eden World Ladies Senior Championships.
Reanne Evans is the world's #1 lady snooker player. She is currently the world champion and has won ten titles in world snooker. She has been invited wildcard to play on the men's touring in 2010/11. Her services to snooker have also earned her an MBE.
Reanne Evans was brought up in Dudley West Midlands. At the age of 14, she started playing pool. She has since become a professional snooker ace. She has won eight titles in billiards or ball pool, as well as snooker. She is also the current holder of the World Pool Championship title. She has won the European Masters, and she is the most successful woman player in the UK.
Evans, then seven-and-a half months pregnant, won 2006 the ladies world title. She was the first female to reach the main stages at a ranking event. She qualified for the televised stages of the Wuxi Classic in China, and beat Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-4 in a qualifying match.
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 invited to the professional tour as a wildcard for the 2010/11 season. She will be competing in the UK's final stages of the World Ranking Event. In the first round, she will play Neil Robertson, world number 2.
Reanne McIlroy is, Reanne Evans and Emma Bonney are all great female players. They were all world number one players at one time and remain among the top snooker players. According to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, there is no gender barrier in snooker. Only two women currently rank in the top 30 men's world rankings. If the next generation can challenge the best players worldwide, women's snooker will be a bright future.
The future is bright for many female snooker players around the globe. 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.