Meet 16-year-old female snooker star set to play first ever live TV match in tournament with Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby
MEET 16-year-old Sophie Nix, who will play her first ever live snooker match in the 9Club Shoot Out in Leicester today.
Nix could potentially face defending champ Mark Allen, world No9 Shaun Murphy and world No3 Mark Selby if she makes it through today.
Nix, the world’s top under-21 women’s player, is taking inspiration from China‘s Bai Yulu as she looks ahead to her first world ranking event.
The Scot will be among 128 players hoping to lift the trophy in the unique tournament where all matches last a maximum of 10 minutes.
Nix is one of only eight amateurs invited by WPBSA.
The teenager told the World Snooker Tour: “I’m really excited, it will be my first live televised match.”
The Landywood British Women’s Open winner faces two-time ranking event winner and fellow Scot Anthony McGill in her opening match at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Nix added: “I don’t usually get nervous but I expect I might do just before I play.
“I have had some good advice from Reanne Evans, she told me to speed up my game in practice, and then when I’m out there to try to ignore the crowd as much as I can.
“My boyfriend is also playing in it for the first time so we’ll be able to cheer each other on.”
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Nix’s boyfriend Steven Wardropper is the Scottish under-16 Champion.
She first played pool at the age of eight during a holiday and was encouraged by her father to graduate to snooker.
The teen is currently balancing tournaments and practice with homework as she is studying Highers in five subjects.
Nix has played on the World Women’s Tour for the past three years and has progressed quickly.
She added: “I started for fun and never expected to get to the top of the under-21 rankings.
“My goal now is to climb the main rankings from 34th and to compete regularly with the top women players.”
The 9Club Shoot Out runs from Wednesday 4 to Saturday 7 December at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
In form Neil Robertson will make his first appearance in the unique tournament for 13 years as he looks to claim the huge £50,000 jackpot.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins