article_snippet.sent: At 11:20pm, former world champion Ken Doherty potted a final black and extinguished, for now, the dream of Reanne Evans to become the first women player to play the hallowed baize of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in the world snooker championship.
article_snippet.sent: In every other respect however, 29-year-old Evans, a single mum from Dudley, was a winner on Thursday night.
article_snippet.sent: She advanced the cause of women in sport no end and gave Ken Doherty the fright of Ken Doherty life in an enthralling and attritional match that won't be bettered in this year's qualifying tournament.
article_snippet.sent: Snooker's governing body had been criticised in some quarters for allowing Reanne Evans a wild card to compete alongside 127 male players for the right to play in the sport's blue-chip event on April 18 - something no female had achieved.
article_snippet.sent: It was good match play snooker and tough all the way through.
article_snippet.sent: There was a lot of pressure on her world championship qualifying match against Doherty, a different kind of pressure to what I've ever experienced. '
article_snippet.sent: The 10-time ladies world champion collected just £400 as prize money for winning the title in 2013, and this was a completely different environment against a player who beat Stephen Hendry to be crowned the best player in the world in 1997. '
article_snippet.sent: Evans' needed a snooker to avoid the match going into a final frame – and Evans' got a snooker.
article_snippet.sent: Evans' should certainly use this match to become a leading ambassador for women's sport.