In a few hours the 2023 Wine Cellars Women Snooker US Open will enter it’s last day of action as we are currently at the semi-finals stage, where the four highest seeds in the competition will do battle.
Three of the semi-finalists are or have been competing on the main tour: Mink, On Yee and Bex. Jamie Hunter is the defending champion. All four have won their QF match by 3-0.
The best players in the competition so far have been Mink and On Yee. At the time of writing, we had ten breaks over 50 during the competition, three by On Yee, seven by Mink. On Yee still has the highest break, a 121. Mink has a century as well, a 107 … that could have been a 142 had she not missed the last red.
For us in Europe, the action – streamed on YouTube by OXBilliards – will start in the evening and one hour earlier than on the two previous days. The semi-finals and Final are best of 7, and all three matches will be played, and streamed on the main table.
Yesterday players were invited to join the commentary team. Maryann McConnell was particularly interesting. Maryann, who started playing competitively at the age of 24 whilst at University was runner-up to Mandy Fisher in the 1984 Women Snooker World Championship. She explained how thriving snooker was in Canada when she started, and how important a figure Cliff Thorburn was at the time, and still is. She also explained why, in her opinion, snooker has regressed and pool has thrived instead. She’s a multiple pool champion herself.
Maryann McConnell
If you are interested in the history of snooker and want to understand the challenges this sport faces, it’s worth a listen. The streams are on the OXBilliards YouTube, even those from last year … so no hurry and well worth it.
Ray Reardon, one of snooker’s all-time greats, still plays and watches snooker and retains his love of the sport at the age of 90.
David Hendon travelled to Churston Golf Club in Devon to interview Reardon, and found the six-time World Champion in fine fettle. Here are a few extracts from the interview, which you can watch at the bottom of the page.
On whether he still plays snooker
“Very badly. I think they have moved the pockets actually. Either that or the balls got bigger and the pockets smaller. I still enjoy playing. I can help all of the members a little bit if they need it and there’s no charge. I never charge anybody.
On what still attracts him to the sport
“It is the nature of the game. The unreliability and the uncertainty of it. Some days you can do most things and others you can’t do anything. There is no rhyme or reason for it. Just whether or not you feel in the mood for it. I don’t know what it is. When you are in a little world of your own you can pot everything, get out of everything and you aren’t aware of anything. Nothing distracts you and you just get on doing your job.”
On his dominance of snooker in the 1970s
“I was number one for seven years, how about that? That is something isn’t it? You can only be the best of your day. You can’t compare it with modern times. They are much younger now and conditions seem to be much better than what we had. The tables are nice and warm, the balls are nice and light and the clothes are thinner. I would love to be able to play in these conditions. The table is so fast now and you see them screw the ball effortlessly over long distances. It is fascinating.”
On whether Ronnie O’Sullivan will beat his record as oldest ranking event winner
“I can’t see any reason why not. I wish him well because I’m on his side. It would be wonderful. Good for him. What a wonderful player and the most natural player you will ever see. I was amazed when I worked with him. I saw him play and I’d heard about him and read about him. To stand by him for a practice session is unbelievable. It is magic and I used to call him the magician. He wouldn’t have that, he wanted to be the Rocket.
“He is the greatest player without a doubt and I think most players would agree. I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t agree. He is so natural and effortless. You would have to see him practising to realise how good he really is. Snooker is one of these games where you have an audience going along and I’m sure they don’t understand what they are seeing. They don’t realise how good this person is. They see a ball go from A to B. The white ball goes here there and everywhere. You can’t understand the skill involved in making this happen.”
On the resurgence of Mark Williams
“Look how dangerous he is. He has a second lease of life hasn’t he? He’s coming back. Mark came down here for a game of golf. What a good golfer he is. He birdied 15, 16, 17 and 18. It was unbelievable. He has a new lease of life on a snooker table and how nice it is to see that.”
Ray also gives his views – enthusiastic views – on the reigning World Champion, Luca Brecel, but no word of that in the above account. Oh well … Luca might be World Champion, he isn’t from the UK , so, who cares he?
2 thoughts on “2023 Women Snooker US Open News and a Chat with Ray Reardon”
Ultra late question, where is Reanne?
Personally not feel nice new COVID variant in US. ( not going back to strict measures again but players? Some big names are in forties.)
Reanne chose not to enter the event. I’m not sure why exactly. Her qualifying match for the British Open is on 19th of August, so that can’t be the reason. But it’s a tiring and expensiive trip. Reanne is in the first year of a new tour card. Mink and On Yee will want all the ranking points they can get on the women’s tour to try to secure/regain a main tour spot.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Ultra late question, where is Reanne?
Personally not feel nice new COVID variant in US. ( not going back to strict measures again but players? Some big names are in forties.)
Reanne chose not to enter the event. I’m not sure why exactly. Her qualifying match for the British Open is on 19th of August, so that can’t be the reason. But it’s a tiring and expensiive trip. Reanne is in the first year of a new tour card. Mink and On Yee will want all the ranking points they can get on the women’s tour to try to secure/regain a main tour spot.