1976 Women's World Open (snooker)

The 1976 Women's World Open was a women's snooker tournament that took place in Middlesbrough in 1976. Vera Selby won the final 4–0 against Muriel Hazeldene.

Embassy Women's World Open

Tournament information
Dates	7–9 April 1976[1]
Venue	Middlesbrough Town Hall
City	Middlesbrough
Country	United Kingdom
Organisation(s)	Women's Billiards Association
Format	Single elimination
Total prize fund	£1030[1]
Winner's share	£500 (plus a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch worth £500)[2][1]
Final
Champion	Vera Selby[3]
Runner-up	Muriel Hazeldene
Score	4–0
1980 →

Background and Tournament summary

The tournament was sponsored by Embassy and run together with the men's 1976 World Snooker Championship.[4]

The top seed, was Joyce Gardner, the only professional player.[2] Gardner had been three times runner-up in the Women's Professional Snooker Championship from 1934 to 1937; and seven times Women's Professional Billiards Champion from 1930 to 1938. She lost in her first match to eventual runner-up Muriel Hazeldene.

The Second seed was Vera Selby, who had won the UK national amateur snooker title for the previous four seasons, and had held the corresponding billiards title since 1970.[2][4]

Other competitors included the past amateur champions Maureen Baynton and Rosemary De Lasso (née Davies), who both came out of retirement; Marion Westaway from Australia; and two players from Canada, 16-year-old Canadian champion Natalie Stelmach, and Sheila King.[1]

Selby lost only one frame on the way to winning the title.

Knockout

Players listed in bold indicate match winner.

	Last 16 Best of 5 frames				Quarter-finals Best of 5 frames				Semi-finals Best of 5 frames				Final Best of 7 frames
	Joyce Gardner	1
	Muriel Hazeldene	3
					Muriel Hazeldene	3
					Lettie Haywood	2
	Lettie Haywood	3
	Natalie Stelmach	1
									Muriel Hazeldene	3
									Maureen Baynton	0
	Rosemary De Lasso	1
	Marion Westaway	3
					Marion Westaway	0
					Maureen Baynton	3
	Maureen Baynton	3
	Hilary Reid	1
													Muriel Hazeldene	0
													Vera Selby	4
	Ann Johnson	3
	Gloria Ruane	0
					Ann Johnson	3
					May Smith	0
	May Smith	3
	Anne Jones	1
									Ann Johnson	1
									Vera Selby	3
	Ray Craven	3
	Sheila King	0
					Ray Craven	0
					Vera Selby	3
	Vera Selby	3
	Lorraine Jackson	0

References

1. Everton, Clive (6 April 1976). "Women Take Cue". The Guardian. p. 27 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
2. Davison, John (5 April 1976). "Vera Must Fight To Win This Title". Evening Chronicle. p. 17 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
3. World Champions Archived 18 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine Women's World Snooker. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
4. Everton, Clive (1985). Guinness Snooker – The Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 154–156. ISBN 0851124488.