Siripaporn secures world title

Siripaporn secures world title

Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan celebrates after winning the world title. Hanif Hassan
Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan celebrates after winning the world title. Hanif Hassan

Snooker star Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan became Thailand's second world women's champion in a row with her triumph on Saturday.

Siripaporn, better known in Thailand as 'Baipat Sriracha', beat Chinese teenager Bai Yulu 6-3 in the World Women's Championship final at the Hi-End Snooker Club in Bangkok.

The 19-year-old Chinese took a 3-2 lead in the first session only for the Thai to rally and win the contest in the second.

The Thai had never previously been beyond the semi-finals of the biggest tournament in women's snooker, but this time the 23-year-old went all the way to lift the Mandy Fisher Trophy.

The victory comes with a card to the professional tour for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

Siripaporn will be one of two Thai women on the tour next season, alongside Nutcharut Wongharuethai (Mink Saraburi), the world title-holder who she knocked out in the semi-finals.

Bai underlined her talent on her debut in the tournament, notably making a 127 in the group phase which was the highest break in the history of the event.

And the teenager started the final brightly, taking the first two frames.

She led 3-2 at the interval, but the more experienced Siripaporn then took control, winning the next four frames for victory.

Siripaporn's previous best career moment came in 2019 when she won the Women's Snooker World Cup alongside compatriot Waratthanun Sukritthanes.

She didn't become a regular competitor on the women's tour until last year, and has since climbed to 11th in the rankings.

She reached the final of the recent Asia-Pacific Women's Snooker Championship so came into this week's event high on confidence.

She finished top of her group before knocking out England's Jamie Hunter and Mongolia's Bayarsaikhan Narantuya and compatriot Nutcharut.

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