Daijiworld Media Network - Sydney
Sydney, Oct 20: Indian snooker player Anupama, the top seed in Group D, clinched the bronze medal at the Australian Women’s Open after losing to world No. 3 Mink Nutcharut of Thailand in the semifinals.
Making her debut at the event, the 24-year-old world No. 8 Indian enjoyed an impressive run before her campaign ended in the last four.
Anupama made a strong start to the season at last month’s UK Women’s Championship in Leeds. She notably recovered from a 0-2 deficit to defeat reigning world champion Panchaya Channoi in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Bai Yulu in the following round.
With no ranking points to defend until February 2027, Anupama is well placed to consolidate her position among the world’s top eight with another strong performance this week.
The Australian Women’s Open is the second ranking tournament of the World Women’s Snooker (WWS) Tour. The seventh edition of the world-ranking event has attracted its largest-ever entry since being added to the calendar in 2018, with 29 players featuring in the draw. This surpasses the previous high of 27 players who travelled to New South Wales two years ago.
Anupama first took up snooker in 2015 after being introduced to the sport at a summer camp. She made her debut on the World Women’s Snooker Tour at the 2023 World Cup in Thailand, where she claimed a remarkable title victory alongside compatriot Amee Kamani.
In August 2024, she achieved her best finish in a world-ranking event by reaching the final of the US Women’s Open in Seattle, where she finished runner-up to Ng On Yee. Before that breakthrough performance, Anupama had reached the quarterfinals of four consecutive world-ranking events.
In March 2024, she reached the quarterfinals of the World Women’s Snooker Championship for the first time but lost 1-4 to three-time champion Ng On Yee in China.
She reached the quarterfinals again at the World Women’s Snooker Championship in 2025 before bowing out in the round of 16 in the 2026 edition in China.