1997 Women's World Snooker Championship

The 1997 World Women's Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament held in 1997.

Tournament summary[]

The tournament started as the 1996 World Championship, but due to delays in the scheduling of the later rounds, it became the 1997 Championship. It was promoted by Barry Hearn^[1] who had been promoting the Women's world championship since 1990.^[2] The defending champion was Karen Corr. There were 52 players who entered the tournament. Allison Fisher who had won the title seven times, most recently in 1994, did not enter as she has moved to the United States where she had embarked on a successful pool career. 1984 amateur champion and five-times runner-up Stacey Hillyard had retired from competition and so was another non-participant. The original schedule was for the quarter-finals onwards to be held in India, as they had been in 1994 and 1995,^[2] from 16 to 19 September 1996,^[3] but eventually the final rounds took place in Llanelli, with the semi-finals and final not happening until well into 1997.

This was the last women's world snooker championship to be held before the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association amalgamated with the WPBSA later in 1997.^[4]

Rounds 1 to 4[]

The tournament started as the 1996 World Championship. The first four rounds took place at Raunds Cue Sports Club, Northamptonshire, to decide the eight players that would go on to contest the quarter-finals onwards, which were expected to be played in Bombay in mid-September 1996. Defending champion Karen Corr won her first match without losing a frame but won only on the final black in the deciding frame of her match against Lynette Horsburgh. Second seed Kelly Fisher and 1995 runner-up Kim Shaw both won both of their matches 4–0. Mary Talbot, ranked 26th, was a surprising quarter-finalist, beating 7th seed Sarah Smith and 12th ranked player Helen Audus. The highest break in the main qualifying was a 77 by Ann-Marie Farren. A plate competition was held for players who did not qualify to the quarter finals and was won by Horsburgh, who made a break of 100 in the first round of the plate competition.^[3]

Quarter-finals[]

Following postponements of the final stages and a lack of response from promoter Barry Hearn's partner in India, it was decided to hold the quarter-finals at the Terry Griffiths Matchroom, Llanelli, and they took place in November 1996. Corr whitewashed 1984 professional champion Mandy Fisher 4–0. Banks saw off 1987 champion Farren 4–2, and Lisa Quick beat Shaw 4–1. Fisher's match with Talbot was delayed due to Talbot's illness, with Fisher winning 4–1. Meanwhile, Hearn requested the termination of his contract with the WLBSA to promote the event in future.^[1]

Semi-finals and Final[]

The semi-finals and final were eventually scheduled to be held in Llanelli in mid-1997, following a continued lack of communication from Hearn's partner in India. Corr made the highest break of the competition, 87, and three other breaks over 30 in overcoming Banks 5–0. Quick won the first frame against Fisher, but no more, losing 1–5. The final between Corr and Fisher was closely contested until 3–3 but then Corr won three frames in a row to take her third world title. The tournament finished some eleven months after the start of the qualifying matches, and was the end of promoter Hearn's relationship with women's snooker that stretched back to 1990.^[2]

This was the last world championship to be held before the amalgamation of the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association with the WPBSA a few months later. The intention was that major finals for women should be played at the same venues as the men's events, for example the women's world championship final being held at the Crucible Theatre during the World Snooker Championship.^[4]

Results[]

Source: Snooker Scene^[1][2][3]

First round[]

At Raunds Cue Sports Club. Matches were best-of-7 frames.

	Score
Lynette Horsburgh	4–2	Zena Latcham
Kathy Parashis	4–1	Valerie Finnie
Clare Rodgers	4–0	Vicki Revell
Natalie Chatfield	4–0	Jane O'Neill

Second round to Final[]

	Second round Best-of-7 frames Raunds Cue Sports Club					Third round Best-of-7 frames Raunds Cue Sports Club					Fourth round Best-of-7 frames Raunds Cue Sports Club					Quarter-finals Best-of-7 frames Terry Griffiths Matchroom					Semi-finals Best-of-9 frames Terry Griffiths Matchroom					Final Best-of-11 frames Terry Griffiths Matchroom
		Maureen Twomey	4				Karen Corr	4
		Mary Hawkes	2				Maureen Twomey	0
												Karen Corr	4
												Lynette Horsburgh	3
		Beverley Hipwell	0		Emma Bonney	1
		Lynette Horsburgh	4				Lynette Horsburgh	4
																	Karen Corr	4
																Mandy Fisher	0
		Sue Parrish	4				Caroline Walch	3
		Lisa Ingall	2				Sue Parrish	4
												Sue Parrish	2
												Mandy Fisher	4
		Jan Hughes	4		Mandy Fisher	4
		Marianne Lazarides	1				Jan Hughes	1
																						Karen Corr	5
																						June Banks	0
		Sherron Audus	4				June Banks	4
		Greta Browne	3				Sherron Audus	1
												June Banks	4
												Dawn Wells	0
		Dawn Wells	4		Julie Billings	1
		Jackie Stewart	0				Dawn Wells	4
																	June Banks	4
																Ann-Marie Farren	2
		Valerie Van Bellinghen	0				Michelle Brown	0
		Kathy Parashis	4				Kathy Parashis	4
												Kathy Parashis	0
												Ann-Marie Farren	4
		Riitta Koskinen	4		Ann-Marie Farren	4
		Tracey Warren	3				Riitta Koskinen	0
																											Karen Corr	6
																											Kelly Fisher	3
		Julie Gillespie	4				Kim Shaw	4
		Louise Leskevicius	0				Julie Gillespie	0
												Kim Shaw	4
												Jenny Poulter	0
		Katie Henrick	0		Jenny Poulter	4
		Clare Rodgers	4				Clare Rodgers	0
																	Kim Shaw	1
																Lisa Quick	4
		Martina Lumsden	4				Julie Kelly	4
		Doreen Buckton	0				Martina Lumsden	1
												Julie Kelly	1
												Lisa Quick	4
		Gaye Jones	4		Lisa Quick	4
		Tuija Tiihonen	0				Gaye Jones	1
																						Kelly Fisher	5
																						Lisa Quick	1
		Mary Talbot	4				Sarah Smith	3
		Nicola Barker	0				Mary Talbot	4
												Mary Talbot	4
												Helen Audus	1
		Rachel Ozier	w.o.		Helen Audus	4
		Anita Morra	scr.				Rachel Ozier	0
																	Mary Talbot	1
																Kelly Fisher	4
		Liz Jones	3				Laura Stoddard	4
		Natalie Chatfield	4				Natalie Chatfield	1
												Laura Stoddard	0
												Kelly Fisher	4
		Lisa Gordon	4		Kelly Fisher	4
		Sue Selby	1				Lisa Gordon	0

Final[]

Final: Best-of-11 frames Terry Griffiths Matchroom, Llanelli
Karen Corr		6–3			Kelly Fisher
Frame	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Karen Corr 30+ Breaks	41 -	74 -	63 -	27 -	67 -	41 -	88 -	47 -	105 (33,58)
Kelly Fisher 30+ Breaks	53 -	32 -	49 (32)	71 (31)	43 -	58 -	52 -	25 -	3 -
Frames won (Corr first)	0–1	1–1	2–1	2–2	3–2	3–3	4–3	5–3	6–3
58		Highest break			32
1		50+ breaks
1		30+ breaks			2
Karen Corr wins the 1997 World Women's Snooker Championship

References[]