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Dudley's Reanne Evans racks up 12th world title

Reanne Evans has expressed her delight after clinching her 12th World Women’s Snooker Championship with a 6-3 win over Nutcharut Wongharuthai in a tense final.

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The Dudley ace claimed the crown for the first time since 2016 with her fifth career victory from five matches against Thai teenager Wongharuthai.

But the 19-year-old drew first blood at Hi-End Snooker Club in Bangkok as she took the opener with a break of 62.

Evans then won three of the next four frames to lead at the mid-session interval, and just had too much class for Wongharuthai to cope with.

She moved to within one frame of victory with a tournament high break of 92, and sealed the deal after a lengthy ninth frame.

"It feels pretty good. It has been a long time coming after my 11th and it does mean more after losing during the past two years," said Evans.

"I had such a good run (winning the title 10 years in a row from 2005-2014) but it obviously has been frustrating and gutting for that to end and to have lost a bit of confidence.

"The final was really tight all the way through. I was a little bit edgy at the start but I still felt good and towards the end I felt even better. I wasn’t letting it go this year.”

The semi-finals had taken place earlier in the day when Evans beat another Thai in Baipat Siripaporn 5-3. Wongharuthai – who also got past defending champion Ng On Yee in the quarters – won 5-2 against Belgium’s 12-time European champion Wendy Jans.

And Evans was impressed by her young opponent in the final.

"You can tell her shot selection is getting better," she said.

“Her technique is brilliant, she is a lovely person and her temperament is great. She laughs everything off and just gets on with it, that’s the right way to be.”

Evans added: "I’m really happy because the standard has been so good here this year.

"It could have been anyone winning it from the quarter-finals stage and fingers crossed that these players will keep competing and inspire others to play.

"I’m just happy to win against all the youngsters now, they are so attacking. A few shot selections have let them down but that’s about it and that comes with experience."