Mark Selby and Rebecca Kenna put themselves on course for the final of the BetVictor World Mixed Doubles Championship after topping the group following the opening day’s matches at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
The invitational event, the last edition of which was held 31 years ago, paired the world’s top four men and women, initially in a round-robin league of four-frame matches.
Players each took alternate visits and all of the frames were played. Each team is ranked by most won and least lost with head-to-head records or the individual highest break counting if needed, with the top two eventually progressing to Sunday’s best-of-seven final.
In the opening group match on Saturday afternoon, the blue team of Judd Trump and Ng On-Yee were 3-1 winners over world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and Reanne Evans, who had made a break of 62 in the final frame.
Hong Kong’s On Yee said: “I feel like the clearance in the third frame was really good. There was huge pressure but luckily I handled it well.”
Trump added: “We spoke briefly before the match about which order to go in and decided it would be me before for Ronnie to try and keep him quiet. That was our tactic, to try and keep him safe. I felt very confident in On Yee and it worked well.
“It’s an amazing showcase for the women’s game. It could have been difficult for them to play, as if they were playing with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but actually they settled into the swing of things a lot quicker than me and Ronnie did.
“I felt very confident when when the draw come out that we’d have a great chance. Ronnie and Reanne have been the favourites in so many people’s eyes, but I quietly felt we were very strong. And I believe that we have what it takes to go all the way.”
Selby and Kenna's winning start
In the second match, Selby and Kenna saw off Neil Robertson and Mink Nutcharut by the same scoreline.
Selby opened with a break of 134, then Robertson replied with a 64 for 1-1. A run of 64 from Selby helped his team regain the lead. In frame four, the English duo trailed 46-11, but some clever safety from Kenna helped set her partner up with a chance, and Selby took advantage with a 40 clearance.
Kenna said: “I’m pleased that I could put a few balls together. I know how difficult it is to get settled on these tables, they are just so fast. But when when the opportunities came, I went for my shots until I lost position.”
Selby added: “It’s huge spotlight, at least 30 years since we’ve had an event like this, especially to be on the main ITV channel with a primetime audience. So I said to Rebecca, just go out there, express yourself. Show everyone your personality, go for your shots, because this is a massive platform for women's snooker.”
Rocket and Evans bounce back
Saturday’s evening session saw O’Sullivan and Evans get a win on the board for the red team as they defeated Robertson and Mink 3-1.
The Rocket, who had not played since July, made a clearance of 111 in the second frame.
“The girls have been the star of the show today,” O’Sullivan said on ITV4. “She (Evans) played an unbelievable frame there, with that last red. Her ball striking is better than 80 per cent of men on the circuit, so if she gets proper competition, her game will develop.”
19 world titles. 🏆@ronnieo147 and @evans_reanne are enjoying playing together!#BVMIXEDDOUBLES | @BetVictor pic.twitter.com/k0x8au8bmN
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) September 24, 2022
Evans, a 12-time world champion, added: “With the top four guys supporting us, it just shows how good they want the sport to be as well. Hopefully this is a step forward in the right direction.”
In the final match of Saturday’s action, which included a lengthy second frame of almost an hour, the green team of Selby and Kenna defeated Trump and On Yee 3-1 to finish top of the table with six points.
Trump and On Yee have four points, as do O’Sullivan and Evans, with Robertson Nutcharut on two.
Sunday’s play starts at 1pm with the final two matches of the round-robin stage to determine who makes the final later in the evening.
Saturday's results and table
Afternoon session
- O'Sullivan/Evans 1-3 Trump/On Yee
- Selby/ Kenna 3-1 Robertson/Nutcharut
Evening session
- O'Sullivan/Evans 3-1 Robertson/Nutcharut
- Trump/On Yee 1-3 Selby/Kenna
Tournament Table & Format
Teams will score one point for each frame, rather than matches won
- Mark Selby/Rebecca Kenna P 2 PTS 6
- Ronnie O'Sullivan/Reanne Evans P 2 PTS 4
- Judd Trump/Ng On Yee P 2 PTS 4
- Neil Robertson/Mink Nutcharut P 2 PTS 2
The four teams will compete in a round-robin format, followed by the final with the winning team crowned champions. Each round-robin match will be four frames. Teams will score one point for each frame.
At the end of the group phase, the top two teams will go through to the final, which will be best of seven frames. The two players in a team will make alternate visits to the table, not alternate shots.
