Ng On Yee narrowly loses to world number two during big stage pool debut in Las Vegas
Three-time world women’s snooker champion Ng On Yee performed admirably on her big stage pool debut in the United States last week.
The Hong Kong ace utilised a gap in her professional snooker tour schedule to play in the 2026 Las Vegas Women’s Open - played to 10-ball pool rules and a sets format - held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino in Nevada.
This $90,000 event was the latest leg of the Predator Pro Billiards Series, with the men’s competition running alongside at the same venue.
Fielding an international line-up of 64 entrants, the tournament featured an initial ‘double elimination’ qualifying phase, essentially meaning contestants had two lives early on.
Ng won her opening match over Jasmin Buce (USA) two sets to nil (4-0, 4-2) before facing a big challenge against world number two Wei Tzu-Chien from Chinese Taipei.
Having lost the first set 4-0, Ng restored parity by winning set two, 4-3. However, Wei progressed in the deciding set, taking it by four racks to one.
That result pushed Ng into the losers’ side of the draw where he came back from a set down to oust Nakyung Song (South Korea) 2-1 (3-4, 4-3, 4-2) before losing to Yunmi Lim (South Korea) 2-0 (3-4, 0-4).
Wei went on to win the tournament, defeating Chezka Centeno of the Philippines in straight sets in the final to collect the top prize of $27,000.
That won’t be Ng’s final participation at the venue, though, as she is part of the Hong Kong outfit competing in the WPA Teams World Championship which runs from February 24-27.
Featuring 20 teams and carrying a total prize fund of $300,000, Ng will play alongside compatriots Robbie Capito, Ho-Sum Lo and Huan Fu.
Ng is not the first women’s snooker star to travel stateside to play on the American Pool circuit. Former world champions Alison Fisher, Karen Corr and Kelly Fisher have all carved out successful and lucrative careers transferring to the smaller table - the latter is currently ranked fifth in the world.
On the World Women’s Snooker Tour, 35-year-old Ng won the recent Belgian Open held in Bruges - her 23rd ranking title on the circuit.
Elsewhere in the pool world - there are several different disciplines and rulesets across the planet - former snooker professional Rebecca Kenna reached the final of the recent IPA World Women’s Championship.
Played at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford, and to Blackball Rules, Kenna - on debut in the Championship - progressed through four rounds before eliminating then-reigning champion Emma Cunningham from Northern Ireland, 2-1 (in sets), in the semi-finals.
However, Kenna’s brilliant run was halted by fellow English cueist Amy Beauchamp in the title match, who recorded her third title triumph in the event with a 2-1 win.