2009 Update

My Blog
The world championships June 2009

Hi everyone,

I know it has been a long time but when I am playing and practicing I do forget to update my blog. Dad updates the website for me and keeps on for me to update my blog but I have started in secondary school and it is tough to practice and doing all of the homework set. Still, I have had some time to myself recently and thought I would update my blog to keep you up to date of where I am. I will start off with a review of the World Championships in April 2009.

I had a bad run up to the World Ladies Championships because I had been very unwell and off school. I didn’t practice for the event except for a couple of days just before the event. The doctors didn’t know what the matter was so I had a lot of blood tests to find out- I really hate needles so it wasn't nice to have that done - they suspected glandular fever, but the blood tests came back normal, which is a good because dad had glandular fever when he was younger and was very poorly and also it was a bad thing because we still don’t know why I felt so ill.

My first round robin match was against Vidya Pillai the Indian National Champion. I played my first match well but in the end I lost 2-1. It was quite a close match in every frame and I made a 49 break which was my highest match break ever at that point, so the rest was obviously good for me!

The next day I played Emma Bonney (who had won a ranking event this year and made it to number 1 in the world for a short time). I had another good day of snooker. I went 1-0 down but in the second frame I had a total adrenalin rush and got a 52 break beating my previous day’s high break score 2 days in a row!!! When I first got it I didn’t believe it, I was in total shock. The main reason why I was in shock is because I had been promised by my mum and dad that if I made a 50 in a match I could have a pet gerbil. My coach also promised me a new case just before the World Championships if I broke 50 during the Worlds (I should be getting it soon) so thank you mum and dad and thank you Roger.

My other matches were against Maria Catalano (world no.4) where I lost 3-0, Maria was on fire in my group and I learnt alot from watching her. She moves like Ronnie around the table and I think she knocked in a 70 break against me. I then played Stacy Hancock and won 2-1 so my confidence was quite high. My last match was against Martina Lumsden and I lost 2-1 in a very close battle. One of the ladies Sarah Smith didn’t come because she was ill though so I just want to say hope your better to Sarah.

At the end of the group stages I didn’t qualify but I came 4th out of 7 people in my group. Maria came first in our group so well done Maria!

The junior event

In the world ladies junior event it was decided to play a qualification round robin to get into the final. I won all of my matches and faced my opponent from last year in the final Joanne Davies. The final was a best of 3 match. I won the first frame and cued very well but lost the second frame because Jo raised her game. I had won the title the year before 2-0 but I found it harder to keep the title this time. I got a bit angry with myself but then during the last frame I relaxed a bit and won quite comfortably. That made me the world ladies junior champion for 2009. Jo played well though and put up a fight so well done considering all of the school work that she has had to do for her GCSE's before the tournament.

The Plate

I was out of the main tournament so it was time for the plate. In the first round I played Maureen Logan and I won 2-0. In the second round I played Martina Lumsden, a lady who I lost to in the main tournament and I won this match 2-0. My 3rd match was against Natascha Niermann, the 8x German champion, I was on a high from winning my last 2 matches and I won this match 2-1 with 2 clearances in the first and 3rd frames. I was now in the final and I had a really tough game. I had to play So Man Yan, a Chinese lady, and she was very good. I lost 2-0 but on the black in the first frame and the pink in the 2nd frame. I wasn't happy at losing straight after the match but I got over it quickly when I realised how far I had got and that I had gotten further than the semi final last year. I had played well in the tournament and walked away runner-up.

The ladies doubles

In the ladies doubles there were 3 pairs. There was 1 English lady and 1 Chinese lady in each pair.1 of the pairs was Yu Chingching and Maureen Logan. Another pair was So Man Yan and Christine Sharp and I was paired with Jaique Ip Wan In. I met Yu ChingChing in Thailand at the World Championships in 2007. She played me in the round robin and I was very impressed with her. I have met Jaique a few times before and she an awesome player and a lovely person too. Jacquie and I had to play in the semi-finals. We were against Yu Chingching and Maureen. We won that match and it was very close. So we were in the final against So Man Yan and Christine Sharp and I didn’t want to let Jacque down so I did my best. I knocked in some breaks and Jaique played really well so we both won the final from 1-0 down as well. So that was a second title at my 2009 world ladies championships and my 3rd final of the tournament, this time though I got a trophy and some money for winning.
And that was pretty much it. In my 2009 World ladies championships. I walked away with two titles world ladies junior champion and world ladies doubles champion and I had reached three finals. So overall I had had a good world championship.

I also played in the World Billiards. I practiced for the first time in ages the night before and knocked in my highest break of 125!!!!!! Mum was watching and didn't really understand what had happened. I got to the quarter finals where I played ex World Billiards Champion Chitra Magimairaj. I scored over 150 points in the hour long match and really pushed her. We were very close towards the end until Chitra knocked in a little break to go ahead of me. I did enjoy it though and love playing billiards but I also play snooker and pool and it is hard to practice everything.
I am looking forward to next season. In all of my cuesports matches last season I made it to 10 finals and won 5 tournaments. I am very happy with that result.

Hopefully I will get a chance to play for my country next season and I hope to improve even more with the right practice. The snooker season starts for me with the Wytech World Ladies Masters and the WLBSA UK Championships. I made the quarters of last years Masters and the final of the UK plate last year so I know what I am capable of. Will keep you all informed.

hanks for reading and supporting me through my website.

Byeeee...x