Ng On-yee eyes historic date with The Crucible; Ex-world No 1 finally takes off for London amid airport protests
- Snooker star says it reminds her of the 2017 Hong Kong Masters, when her flight from London was threatened by a No 8 typhoon signal
- Ng is one of four players in the Tour Championship, with women returning to the hallowed venue for the first time since 2003
Ng On-yee had to wait until Wednesday to fly from Hong Kong to the UK to play in the Tour Championship in Sheffield.
After a failed attempt on Tuesday, when protesters brought the airport to a standstill, Ng finally flew to London on Wednesday afternoon.
“I will get there eventually,” she said ahead of the flight. Her coach, Wayne Griffiths, said they were confident she would get to UK but the delay would definitely affect her preparation.
The Hong Kong snooker star hoped the delay would not affect her chances of making history.
The three-time world champion is one of four elite players invited to play at the most prestigious venue in world snooker – Sheffield’s The Crucible – on Saturday for the Tour Championship.
Already feeling the pressure of having to face world champion Reanne Evans, Thai sensation Nutcharut Wongharuthai and world No 3 Rebecca Kenna, Ng was hoping her flight to London would not be affected by the anti-government protests that have created havoc at the Chek Lap Kok airport since Saturday.