World Seniors Championship 2022 Announcements…

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World Women’s Snooker Tour player Maria Catalano, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s cousin, will appear as the first woman to play in the 2022 Ways Facilities Management World Seniors Championship at The Crucible next month.

What will be a hotly contested event from the 4th – 8th of May, the regulars of the likes of Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, Jimmy White, and Peter Lines and last spring’s winner David Lilley, will be joined by the first woman to compete and the first American Ahmed Aly will become the first American to play at the Crucible with Canadian Bob Chaperon returning to the venue for the first time in 30 years. Africa is set to be represented by Egypt’s Wael Talaat.

Catalano, 40, has won 11 ranking event titles on the World Women’s Tour as the draw will be announced during the BetFred World Snooker Championships 2022.

24 players will contest the event.

Welcome to the @waysfmuk World Seniors Championship Maria Catalano #daretodream Maria is an 11 time ranking event winner and former World number 1 pic.twitter.com/d9VLKBva9c

— World Seniors Snooker Tour (@WorldSeniors) April 5, 2022

It comes as at least four women have joined the professional ranks of the main tour and competed in the BetFred World Championship qualifiers currently going on at the English Institute of Sport.

Rebecca Kenna, Reanne Evans, Ng On Yee, and Nutcharut Wongharuthai, who won the World Women’s Snooker Championship a few weeks ago, ALL lost their first-round matches.

Kenna, now a new professional for next season, said on Facebook after: “I don’t think I’ve played that worse since I picked up a cue at three years old! Nerves came from nowhere.

She added: “All about learning today, and boy, did I learn loads! Looking forward to knuckling down full time now and improving my game.”

With the war in Ukraine still raging, Ukraine professional Julian Boiko won his first World Championship match at the EIS. He became the youngest player to compete at the WC at the age of 14 in 2020.

Boiko said after on WST: “It has been very tough times for us with the war. I hope I made some people happier today. I think I have played a brilliant match. I am very happy to get the win and I hope I will have the momentum for the next round.

Talented Welsh teenager Liam Davies was the youngest player at 15 to win a World Championship match this week.