Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee remain on course for a final showdown in the 2019 Women’s World Championship after easing through the group stages in Thailand.
Defending champion Ng and Evans, this year bidding for a twelfth world crown, lost just one frame between them in the round-robin phase.
The pair contested finals in 2014 and 2016 with global honours at stake.
Englishwoman Evans triumphed on both of those occasions but the latter represents the last time the 33 year-old has etched her name on the trophy as Ng dominated in the last couple of editions – tallying three world trophies in total.
Among the top eight seeds from the group stages, the duo automatically skipped the opening knockout round and advanced straight to the last 16.
Hong Kong’s Ng will face countrywoman Yee Ting Cheung, who overcame Stephanie Daughtery with a 4-1 scoreline.
In the same half of the draw as the 28 year-old are several notably dangerous players.
A possible opponent in the quarter-finals will be either Laura Evans or Nutcharut Wongharuthai – who are both ranked inside the world’s top eight.
Belgium’s Wendy Jans is also in the same bracket and will be bidding to add a maiden professional world title to the IBSF World Championship that she triumphed in six times in a row between 2012 and 2017.
The woman who put an end to that streak a year ago was Waratthanun Sukritthanes, with the Thai woman one of four home competitors left in the draw.
Sukritthanes, one half of Thailand’s Women’s World Cup champions from a few days ago, is in the top half of the draw alongside partner Baipat Siripaporn.
Rebecca Kenna and Emma Parker clash in an intriguing all-English clash but the majority of eyes in that section will be on Evans, who faces Australian Jessica Woods.
By the end of Saturday’s play, the four semi-finalists of the 2019 Women’s World Championship will be determined.
