It was another good day for women’s snooker on the main tour with Mink Nutcharut and Bai Yulu both winning their first-round fixtures at the English Open on Friday.
Reigning women’s world champion Bai compiled breaks of 76, 74, and 56 to see off the challenge of fellow Chinese competitor Liu Wenwei in a decider.
Women’s world number one Nutcharut later overcame Northern Irish youngster Robbie McGuigan with a 4-2 scoreline.
It continues what has been a promising 2025/26 snooker season for women’s snooker generally.
All four players from the World Women’s Snooker Tour who compete on the professional circuit have recorded victories this term.
Ng On Yee, who became the first woman to reach the last 32 of a ranking event at the Championship League in July, couldn’t add to her array of wins during this campaign.
However, the Hong Kong potter did break the record for the highest century break made by a woman on the main tour with her terrific 137 contribution on Thursday.
Bai and Nutcharut, who have contested the last two finals at the Women’s World Championship, will return to action on Sunday against Ricky Walden and Michael Holt respectively.
Elsewhere on day two at the English Open, there was a remarkable victory for Chang Bingyu over Irishman Leone Crowley.
Chang, making his comeback to the main tour this season following some time out through a ban, has generally been in good form in 2025.
But the 23 year-old sent out a clear message of his potential with a stunning 4-0 performance that included a break of 134 and a pair of 133 contributions.
Among the others to advance to the last 96 in what is the season’s first event from the Home Nations Series were Liam Pullen and Farakh Ajaib.
Alexander Ursenbacher, Allan Taylor, Mitchell Mann, Yao Pengcheng, and Mateursz Baranowski all moved through as well courtesy of deciding-frame triumphs.
It was more comfortable for Ben Mertens, Dylan Emery, and Iulian Boiko who recorded whitewash wins over Ashley Hugill, Fergal Quinn, and Xu Yichen respectively.
Liam Davies, Ross Muir, and Haydon Pinhey additioanlly reached the next round thanks to 4-1 victories.
The second round begins on Saturday with the players seeded from 33 to 64 in the 2025 English Open draw entering the fray.
Some interesting ties include Luca Brecel’s outing with Jimmy White and Mark Davis’ match with Marco Fu.
The 2025 English Open has a total prize fund of £550,400 with £100,000 going to the winner next Sunday and Judd Trump representing a 7/2 favourite in the outright betting market.
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2025 English Open Draw
Round of 128 (bo7)
Sunny Akani 4-2 Oliver Brown
Zhao Hanyang 4-2 Connor Benzey
Haris Tahir 4-0 Michal Szubarczyk
Julien Leclercq 4-0 Aidan Murphy
Farakh Ajaib 4-1 Kreishh Gurbaxani
Chris Totten 1-4 Ross Muir
Antoni Kowalski 1-4 Liam Graham
Liam Highfield 4-2 Ng On Yee
Amir Sarkhosh 4-2 Sahil Nayyar
David Grace 4-0 Jonas Luz
Louis Heathcote 4-1 Mahmoud El Hareedy
Duane Jones 4-1 Patrick Whelan
Cheung Ka Wai 3-4 Jimmy White
Sam Craigie 4-0 Chatchapong Nasa
Reanne Evans 2-4 Jiang Jun
Huang Jiahao 4-0 Oliver Sykes
Robbie McGuigan 2-4 Mink Nutcharut
Bulcsu Revesz 3-4 Alexander Ursenbacher
Mitchell Mann 4-3 Ian Burns
Wang Yuchen 4-3 Florian Nuessle
Dylan Emery 4-0 Fergal Quinn
Allan Taylor 4-3 Umut Dikme
Liam Davies 4-1 Hatem Yassen
Lan Yuhao 1-4 Liam Pullen
Chang Bingyu 4-0 Leone Crowley
Bai Yulu 4-3 Liu Wenwei
Steven Hallworth 3-4 Mateusz Baranowski
Iulian Boiko 4-0 Xu Yichen
Artemijs Zizins 3-4 Yao Pengcheng
Marco Fu 4-0 Gao Yang
Haydon Pinhey 4-1 Ryan Davies
Ben Mertens 4-0 Ashley Hugill
Round of 96 (bo7)
1. David Lilley vs Sunny Akani
2. Noppon Saengkham vs Zhao Hanyang
3. Zak Surety vs Haris Tahir
4. Fan Zhengyi vs Julien Leclercq
5. He Guoqiang vs Farakh Ajaib
6. Robert Milkins vs Ross Muir
7. Ryan Day vs Liam Graham
8. Oliver Lines vs Liam Highfield
9. Long Zehuang vs Amir Sarkhosh
10. Xu Si vs David Grace
11. Jordan Brown vs Louis Heathcote
12. Martin O’Donnell vs Duane Jones
13. Luca Brecel vs Jimmy White
14. Liu Hongyu vs Sam Craigie
15. Daniel Wells vs Jiang Jun
16. Robbie Williams vs Huang Jiahao
17. Michael Holt vs Mink Nutcharut
18. Ben Woollaston vs Alexander Ursenbacher
19. Sanderson Lam vs Mitchell Mann
20. Jimmy Robertson vs Wang Yuchen
21. Matthew Stevens vs Dylan Emery
22. Scott Donaldson vs Allan Taylor
23. Lyu Haotian vs Liam Davies
24. Stan Moody vs Liam Pullen
25. Gong Chenzhi vs Chang Bingyu
26. Ricky Walden vs Bai Yulu
27. Anthony McGill vs Mateusz Baranowski
28. Jamie Jones vs Iulian Boiko
29. Aaron Hill vs Yao Pengcheng
30. Mark Davis vs Marco Fu
31. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Haydon Pinhey
32. Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Ben Mertens
Round of 64 (bo7)
Neil Robertson vs Winner of Match 1 (above)
Jackson Page vs Winner of Match 2
Shaun Murphy vs Winner of Match 3
David Gilbert vs Winner of Match 4
Wu Yize vs Winner of Match 5
Chris Wakelin vs Winner of Match 6
Lei Peifan vs Winner of Match 7
Mark Selby vs Winner of Match 8
Mark Williams vs Winner of Match 9
Zhou Yuelong vs Winner of Match 10
Barry Hawkins vs Winner of Match 11
Tom Ford vs Winner of Match 12
Hossein Vafaei vs Winner of Match 13
Si Jiahui vs Winner of Match 14
Pang Junxu vs Winner of Match 15
Kyren Wilson vs Winner of Match 16
Judd Trump vs Winner of Match 17
Yuan Sijun vs Winner of Match 18
Gary Wilson vs Winner of Match 19
Elliot Slessor vs Winner of Match 20
Stuart Bingham vs Winner of Match 21
Mark Allen vs Winner of Match 22
Matthew Selt vs Winner of Match 23
Ding Junhui vs Winner of Match 24
Xiao Guodong vs Winner of Match 25
Joe O’Connor vs Winner of Match 26
Zhang Anda vs Winner of Match 27
Jak Jones vs Winner of Match 28
Stephen Maguire vs Winner of Match 29
Ali Carter vs Winner of Match 30
Jack Lisowski vs Winner of Match 31
Zhao Xintong vs Winner of Match 32
Click here for the updated results (snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST
Good stuff, and the season feels in full swing now.