The 2007/8 Ladies Snooker Championship
Women’s
World Championships
HAMPSHIRE
golden girl Suzie Opacic has climbed one place to seventh in the World Ladies
Billiards & Snooker Association rankings.
The
20-year-old from Brambridge won the Plate competition at the UK Championships
at the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre, Clay Cross.
Following
a 3-0 first-round exit to world number four Maria Catalano, cousin of
three-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, Opacic beat Vicky Ashby (Hemel
Hempstead) 2-0 in the Plate
A
fluked black in a third-frame semi-final decider against former England
international Chris Sharpe (Chelmsford) set the 2006 World Ladies Junior
Champion up for a clash against the girl she beat to clinch the title.
Opacic
picked up valuable ranking points after seeing off Derby’s Hannah Jones, the
2008 junior champion, 2-1.
The
previous day in the invitation-only £1,400 Wytech Masters, Bournemouth
University student Opacic posted a 31 break but went out 3-2 on the black to
Lynette Horsburgh,
(pictured here with Suzie) the
women’s world 8-ball pool champion.
Horsburgh,
from Blackpool, cleared the last red and colours to the pink. Opacic sunk the
pink but jawed the black.
“I
was very lucky to win the match against Suzie,” said the 34-year-old. “I
dug quite deep.
“I
think she’s a good player and I think she deserved to win. It went to the
final black and she rattled it and left it over the hole.”
Opacic
collected £30 from sponsors Wytech.
AFTER
long hours of solo practice over the summer with just a mouse for company,
women’s world number eight Suzie Opacic heads to Derbyshire today hoping to
break into the top six.
The
WLBSA season kicks off in Clay Cross with the invitation-only £1,400 Wytech
Masters followed tomorrow by the first ranking event, the UK Championships.
While
practising on her own at the tiny Bishopstoke Institute one dark evening,
Opacic, 20, from Brambridge, admitted being “freaked out” after hearing a
mouse scurrying around in the roof.
HAMPSHIRE golden girl Suzie Opacic
agonisingly lost out on qualification for the quarter-finals of the women’s
world championships by just one black ball.
But
the 19-year-old has realised her dream of securing a top-ten spot for next
season after finishing third in her round-robin group with five wins out of
six at Cambridge SC.
An
excellent 2-1 victory over IBSF World Championship semi-finalist Jaique Ip Wan
In (Hong Kong) set Opacic up with a chance of reaching the last eight for the
first time.
The
Bournemouth University student also beat world number five Jenny Poulter (Maidstone)
2-1, Michelle Marinova (Bulgaria) 2-1, Jan Hughes (Cambs) 2-1 and Maureen
Logan (Tyne and Wear) 3-0.
In
the first frame of her penultimate match, world number two Katie Henrick
(Kent) fluked the last red and cleared to win on the black.
Opacic
lost 2-1 and needed other results to go her way.
“I
was playing my last match against Maureen and I knew I needed a 3-0,” she
said.
“I
was in control in the last frame and on the table next to us was Jaique and
Michelle and they were on a black ball.
“I
was paying more attention to that game and I thought if Michelle gets this
black then I’m through - but she rattled it.
“I
wasn’t too happy with my game but then against Jaique I lifted it, I always
do that against the best players.”
Henrick
said: “Suzie’s game is coming on.
“I
though she was really unlucky not to qualify because she only lost one match.
I thought that was really harsh.”
WLBSA
chairman Mandy Fisher confirmed that Opacic, from Brambridge, is now ranked
eighth.
Opacic,
who won the junior title in 2006 and was competing in a third world
championship, said: “I think I could be a lot higher if I put my practice
game onto the match-table.”
Reanne
Evans won a record fourth straight World Championship and Emma Bonney, from
Cosham, claimed a third World Billiards title.
World
Ladies Mixed Pairs
By
Tim Dunkley
THE dream team of Suzie
Opacic and Alex Dunkley suffered a nightmare in the World Ladies Mixed Doubles
at Cambridge.
The
Chandler’s Ford pair crashed out 3-1 to last year’s runners-up from
Newcastle, Pam Wood and Gary Wilson, in the quarter-finals.
Dunkley,
20, admitted he found it nerve-racking playing the match with three top-16
professionals in action close by.
World
Championship finalist Ali Carter was on one side, semi-finalist Joe Perry on
the other and world number ten Neil Robertson one table away.
Opacic
said: “It would have been nice to have been drawn against one of them.”
Australian
left-hander Robertson and Reanne Evans beat Perry and pool star Leah Willett
in the final.
The
Opacic/Dunkley team reunites on May 20 for the Winchester League doubles final
against Bishopstoke Institute pair Adam Nash and Kevin Knight.
SUZIE Opacic was on the
receiving end of what is believed to be the second highest beak ever recorded
on the women’s circuit, at the WLBSA South Coast Classic in Eastbourne.
The
world number six beat Maureen Logan (Wallsend) 3-1 but lost 3-0 to world
champion Reanne Evans in the quarter-finals.
Evans
compiled a 140 total clearance in the first frame.
Opacic,
19, said: “I made a bit of a mess of the break-off. I left two reds in the
open but didn’t expect it to cost me 140.”
Cosham’s
Emma Bonney won the event with a £15 cue she picked up from a car boot sale
in Gosport and ended Evans’ 35-match unbeaten run.
SUZIE Opacic’s hope of
glory in the women’s British Open at Rushden SC was ended by Ronnie
O’Sullivan’s cousin Maria Catalano.
After
a 3-0 victory over Martina Lumsden (Eastbourne), Opacic, 19, lost 3-0 in the
quarter-finals to the eventual champion.
“I
was playing quite well and then had a quick practice over lunch,” she said.
“I
seemed to be potting well - and then I played Maria.
“She
wasn’t missing when she was in the balls. I could have given her a closer
game if I’d been playing well.
“If
you can knock in 40s when she misses then you might have a chance.”
last years reports