Mink Nutcharut captured the 2024 Australian Women’s Open title after a dramatic 4-3 victory over Ng On Yee on Tuesday in Sydney.
The two highest ranked contenders in the draw went toe to toe at the Mt. Pritchard & District Community Club, with barely anything separating them following a tense final.
Nutcharut took an early lead in the contest with a break of 50 in the opening frame, the first Ng had lost in the entire tournament up until that point.
The Hong Kong star replied with a brace of her own half-century contributions in the next frame to quickly restore parity.
The bigger breaks may have dried up after that, but the trend continued with Nutcharut edging her nose in front only to be pegged back by her great rival.
At 3-3, the players shook hands and proceeded to play a nervy deciding frame in which both had chances to seal success.
Nutcharut, though, sunk the crucial final ball on the table to complete victory and a second Australian Women’s Open crown.
The women’s world number one previously won the title back in 2019, when she beat the same opponent to claim her maiden ranking crown.
This title represents her eighth at ranking level on the World Women’s Snooker Tour and a first of the 2024/25 campaign.
Nutcharut and Ng have conjured a gripping rivalry with one another over the course of the last couple of years on the women’s circuit.
They faced each other in four big finals across the 2023/24 term, sharing the spoils with two pieces of silverware apiece.
Nutcharut beat Ng to capture the US and Belgian Women’s Opens while the latter returned the favour at both the Albanian and British Women’s Opens.
Ng, who had dominated her other opponents in reaching the final this week, had been hoping to add to the previous title she won this season at the US Women’s Open in Seattle.
The 33 year-old produced a memorable moment during the group stage when she compiled a terrific 133 total clearance against Christine Firth.
Nutcharut, however, was the last woman standing with her stock continuing to rise as one of snooker’s brightest young talents.
The next event scheduled on the World Women’s Snooker calendar is the Women’s Masters from November 22-24 in London.
2024 Australian Women’s Open
Selected Results
Last 16
Mink Nutcharut 3-0 Dianne Spring
Jessica Woods 3-0 Agnes Kimura
Cheung Yee Ting 3-0 Christine Firth
Narantuya Bayarsaikhan w/o Kylie Bellinger
Narucha Phoemphul 3-1 Theresa Whitten
Lilly Meldrum 3-0 Di Merritt
Joey Tohme 3-1 Carlie Tait
Ng On Yee 3-0 Krystal Aw
Quarter-Finals
Mink Nutcharut 3-0 Jessica Woods
Narantuya Bayarsaikhan 3-2 Cheung Yee Ting
Narucha Phoemphul 3-1 Lilly Meldrum
Ng On Yee 3-0 Joey Tohme
Semi-Finals
Mink Nutcharut 4-3 Narantuya Bayarsaikhan
Ng On Yee 4-0 Narucha Phoemphul
Final
Mink Nutcharut 4-3 Ng On Yee
Click here to view the full draw
(snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WWS
