Baipat Siripaporn, a Thai player who won the women’s world championship in March, will play Judd Trump in the Champions of Champions tournament. Stephen Hendry said he had never watched Siripaporn play.
Snooker legend Stephen Henry came under fire from ITV host Jill Douglas when he acknowledged that he had never watched the women’s world champion play.
Speaking during the afternoon session of the second day of the Champion of Champions tournament in Bolton, Douglas said that Baipat Siripaporn’s attendance was a huge plus for the competition. Douglas was speaking on ITV 4.
The Thai defeated China’s Bai Yulu 6-3 in Bangkok to win her maiden world title in March.”Baipat Siripaporn, the women’s world champion, is another player present,” Douglas remarked.
Douglas, however, did not quite get the reaction she may have been hoping for when he sheepishly admitted he had never seen the Thai star in action. “Great to have her included. How impressed have you been with her, Stephen?” Douglas asked.
have to be honest, I’ve never seen her play, Jill,’
The Scotsman’s answer prompted a terse reply from Douglas, who could barely contain her surprise.
The Thai star will face Judd Trump in the opening match of Group 3 of the Champion of Champions tournament in Bolton
‘Oh come on Stephen!’ she said.
Hendry, who won seven world titles between 1990 and 1999, eventually offered some hindsight on Siripaporn, who will face Judd Trump in the opening match of Group 3 on Thursday.
‘She’s not going to beat him,’ he said.
‘She may not even win a frame, but what an experience for her to be at this event.’
A former world champion and a former world No1, Trump is currently the second-ranked player in the world. Share or comment on this article: Snooker legend Stephen Hendry shocks ITV presenter Jill Douglas by admitting he’s NEVER seen the women’s world champion play.
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UK PREVIEW: RACE TO THE MASTERS 2024The world’s top 16 players after the UK Championship will qualify to play at snooker’s premier invitational event, which will run from January 7–14, 2024, at the Alexandra Palace in London. The counting period for qualification includes all prize money earned at ranking events from the 2021 Scottish Open up to and including the 2023 UK Championship.
The MrQ UK Championship is the last opportunity for players to win prize money before the decisive seeding cut-off to determine places at January’s Masters. View the Race to the Masters.
The latest standings, already taking into account the prize money still to be removed from the official world rankings from the 2021 UK Championship, shows the live standings and the true picture of how each player is looking ahead of snooker’s return to York.
It has already been confirmed that Judd Trump will be the top seed in London as defending champion, with reigning world champion Luca Brecel to be drawn in the opposite half as the second seed.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Allen, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams currently occupy the remaining top eight seeded places in the draw.
PLAYER’S STATE
Since the winner of the first Triple Crown Series event of the season will receive a hefty first prize of £250,000 in York, all players, even David Lilley, who finished 74th, have the mathematical opportunity to qualify for the Masters by winning the title.
The top 11 players at the UK Championship are already guaranteed their spots before the first ball is ever struck, with a big £69,000 difference between John Higgins and Jack Lisowski, who is ranked 12th.
With £32,000 separating him and 17th-placed Ding Junhui as the first chaser currently outside of the top 16, Lisowski would therefore be the first player at risk. Lisowski would not be able to compete at the Masters if any one of the following five things happened in his opening match in York:
Barry Hawkins, Robert Milkins, and Zhang Anda make it to the final 16.
Tom Ford advances to the semifinals.
Ryan Day or Ding Junhui advances to the semifinals.
Gary Wilson or Hossein Vafaei advances to the final
The title can be won by any of the next 45 players.
Zhang Anda, the most recent world ranking event winner in snooker, is next in 13th place. After his breakthrough week at the International Championship, Zhang Anda shot into the top 16 for the first time in his career. If he were to lose his opening match in the UK and one of the following four things were to occur, he would qualify for his first Masters match:
Barry Hawkins or Robert Milkins make it to the final 16
Tom Ford advances to the semifinals.
Ryan Day or Ding Junhui advances to the semifinals.
Tony McGill, Gary Wilson, or Hossein Vafaei advance to the championship round.
The title can be won by any of the next 44 players.
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