Bai Yulu Completes UK Hat-Trick to Reclaim Top Ranking
China’s Bai Yulu has defeated Reanne Evans 4-1 to lift the Taom UK Women’s Snooker Championship title for a third successive year and in doing so reclaim the world number one ranking at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England.
Bai was in dominant form throughout the three-day event as she dropped just two frames from her seven matches and compiled three century breaks during the final day, including a tournament-high run of 125, to move into second position on the all-time list.
Winner of the UK Championship in both 2024 and 2025, Bai extended her winning streak at the event to 18 matches to lift her ninth career ranking title, equalling the total of Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut and in doing so securing enough ranking points to return to the summit of the world ranking list for a second time.
For Evans, defeat in an unprecedented 17th UK Championship final nevertheless represented a strong start to the season and her second consecutive ranking final, following her run to the title match at the World Championship back in May.
The pair progressed from a high-quality field which included all of the world’s top 10 current ranked players and saw an exceptional standard of snooker played with six century breaks across the weekend and several other significant breaks across the three days.
Bai scored notable victories against three-time former champion Tessa Davidson, two-time UK finalist Rebecca Kenna and former US Open finalist Anupama Ramachandran – who had impressed with a comeback from 0-2 down to world champion Panchaya Channoi in the quarter-finals – to reach a fourth UK final.
For Evans, her route included wins against Selina Dean, rising 17-year-old star Liu Ziling and outgoing world number one OnYee Ng in the semi-finals as she eyed a record-extending 13th victory at the second-oldest event on the calendar.
It was Bai who made her intentions clear with a run of 103 in the opening frame, before Evans responded with a top run of 31 to draw level at 1-1.
China’s Bai reclaimed the lead following a close third frame, before adding a blistering run of 117 to move to within a frame of the title, which she would duly seal with a top run of 34 in what would prove to be the fifth and final frame.
Phoemphul, Davidson Defend Titles
In the Under-21 and Seniors titles there were repeat victories for Thailand’s Narucha Phoemphul and England’s Tessa Davidson, who successfully defended their titles from last year.
For top ranked Phoemphul it would be an eighth career under-21 title after she overcame Laura Killington and Liu Ziling – in doing so avenging her defeat to Liu at the last 16 stage of the main competition the previous evening. The win sees her consolidate her position at the top of the Under-21 rankings, for which she was presented with a special award for having finished last season as the top ranked junior.
It was a similar story for Davidson, who overcame Sarah Dunn 2-0 in the final to secure her fourth UK Seniors title and her 21st in total since January 2022, moving her to within two of the all-time record currently held by Jenny Poulter.
In the Challenge Cup competition for players who did not progress to the final day of the main competition, there was victory for Latvia’s Anna Prisjažņuka, who had narrowly lost out to Mink Nutcharut on a pink ball battle at the last 16 stage the previous evening.
The World Women’s Snooker team would like to express its thanks to all who contributed to a landmark event, including our sponsors, venue, live streaming production, commentary and media team for helping to make the weekend possible.
The Tour continues with the Australian Women’s Snooker Open, which runs from 17-20 October at Mounties, Sydney, Australia. Entry for the event is currently open via the ABSC website.
