Young snooker star looks for sponsors for World Championships in Thailand
Hornchurch potter Emma Parker has moved up to number seven in the world women's snooker rankings after an excellent performance in Belgium last weekend.
The 20-year-old battled to victory in the under-21 event and also reached the semi-finals of the main competition as she continues to move up the rankings.
"It was a great weekend," she said. "We were in Bruges which is a lovely place and I was pleased with the way the snooker went."
In the under-21s, she thumped in a sparkling 50 break in round one to go through 2-0, but had to come from behind against a Thai opponent in the semis, to win 2-1.
She then outplayed 15-year-old Russian player Albina Hashcuk in the final by 2-0 to clinch it.
"This is my lastyear as an under-21 so it was nice to keep winning. There are some good young girls coming through," added Parker, whose main goal is to make it on the senior stage.
She made another step towards that by reaching the last four in Belgium where, having won all her group games, she won 3-0 in the last 16 and quarter-final to book a semi-clash with her role model Reanne Evans.
"She is a very good safety player and I just couldn't get at her," said Parker. "She always seems to get the better of me."
Evans won that match 4-0, although she then lost 4-2 in the final to Thai player Ng On Yee.
"I am trying to reach that standard, but it is more difficult for me as I also have a full-time job," said Parker, who works for SJ Walker Accountants in Hornchurch.
"I had some help from my uncle Marc Mills, whose firm Aspect Mechanical Services helped me get to Belgium, but it would be nice to get more sponsors, so maybe I could go part-time and concentrate on my snooker."
Parker has a big tournament in Leeds to come in April, while later in the year, the World Championships are being held out in Thailand.
"I think it costs about a thousand pounds just for the flight, so it is going to be expensive," she said. "Anyone who can help me will certainly get some good publicity in newspapers and on social media."
In the meantime, Parker continues to practise and pot those balls.
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