World Mixed Doubles Snooker: Information and a Potted History

A two-day event in front of a live and televised audience, the top four players from the world rankings are invited to be drawn with one of the four women players who are also on the professional circuit. 

World Mixed Doubles Snooker: What is the format? 

The four teams of two are placed into a round robin group. All duos face each other in four-frame matches (all frames are played), with a point added to their group standing for every frame they win. The top two teams after all six fixtures have been completed play each other in a best-of-seven frames final for the title. 

The playing format for all frames and matches is doubles, meaning partners will take it in turns to have a visit to the table (visits, not alternating shots as in ‘scotch doubles’). 

World Mixed Doubles Snooker: Most successful players, stats, stories, best finals 

There was a World Mixed Doubles tournament on the snooker circuit in 1991 and 1993. Steve Davis & Allison Fisher won both editions of this tournament, defeating Stephen Hendry & Stacey Hillyard in the final both times (the 1993 version has been known as the World Mixed Doubles Challenge).

In the 1993 final, Allison Fisher made a break of 102, which is reported as being the first televised century break by a woman. 

The event was resurrected by the World Snooker Tour for the 2022/23 season where Neil Robertson & Mink Nutcharut lost their opening matches 3-1 and sat bottom of the group after day one. 

However, a series of results on the concluding day saw them make the final. They won their final group game 4-0 against Judd Trump & Ng On Yee, and when Ronnie O’Sullivan & Reanne Evans lost to the undefeated Mark Selby & Rebecca Kenna, the Aussie-Thai combination made it through. 

Later in the day, Robertson & Nutcharut faced the team that did them a favour in the final. Table toppers Selby and Kenna took the first frame, but Robertson and Mink went 3-1 up and later won frame six to lift the silverware. 

In the next installment of the event, reigning world champion Luca Brecel teamed up with 12-time women's world champion Evans to win the title. 

The duo nearly didn't qualify for the final, needing to win the final frame of the group phase - which they did. 

World Mixed Doubles Snooker: Roll of Honour, Locations 

1991: Steve Davis & Allison Fisher 5-4 Stephen Hendry & Stacey Hillyard (Hamburg, Germany) 

1993: Steve Davis & Allison Fisher 8-6 Stephen Hendry & Stacey Hillyard (Waregem, Belgium) 

2022: Neil Robertson & Mink Nutcharut 4-2 Mark Selby & Rebecca Kenna (Milton Keynes, England) 

2024: Luca Brecel & Reanne Evans 4-2 Mark Selby & Rebecca Kenna (Manchester, England)