Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn won the World Women’s Championship for the first time, beating China’s Bai Yulu 6-3 in the final to earn a place on the World Snooker Tour.
Baipat had never previously been beyond the semi-finals of the biggest tournament in women’s snooker, but this time went all the way to the Mandy Fisher Trophy, and that prize comes with a card to the professional tour for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. The 23-year-old will be one of two Thai women on the tour next season, alongside Mink Nutcharut who she knocked out in the semi-finals.
China’s 19-year-old Bai underlined her talent on her debut in the tournament, staged at the Hi End Club in Bangkok, 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 Baipat then took control, winning the next four frames for victory.
Baipat’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 with confidence. Competing in her home city of Bangkok, she finished top of her group before knocking out Jamie Hunter, Bayarsaikhan Narantuya and Nutcharut to reach the final.
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