Maria Catalano Explained

Maria Catalano (born 27 February 1982^[1]) is an English snooker player from Dudley.^[2] Since 1998, she has competed on the women's snooker tour, where she has won 11 ranking titles, including the 2007 British Women's Open and the 2012 UK Women's Championship. A five-time runner-up at the World Women's Snooker Championship, she was ranked world number one on the women's tour during the 2013–14 season.

In 2018, she won the World Women's Pairs Championship with Reanne Evans. In 2022, she became the first female player to compete in the final stages of the World Seniors Championship. She is a first cousin of seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Career

Catalano attended secondary school at Hillcrest Community College, Netherton, West Midlands.^[3] She began playing snooker in working men's clubs when she was 15 and received coaching from her first cousin, professional player Ronnie O'Sullivan. She made her World Women's Snooker Tour debut in 1998.^[4] She has since won 11 women's ranking titles, including the Connie Gough Trophy six times, the 2007 British Women's Open, and the 2012 UK Women's Championship.^{[5] [6]} In 2003, she ended Kelly Fisher's 69-match, two-year winning streak on the women's tour by defeating her 3–1 in the quarter-finals of the East Anglian Open.^[7] In 2011, she ended Reanne Evans's record 90-match, three-year winning streak with a 3–1 victory in the semi-finals of the Northern Championship.^[8]

A five-time runner-up in the World Women's Snooker Championship, Catalano lost the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 finals to Reanne Evans and the 2018 final to Ng On-yee.^{[9] [10]} At the 2012 event, she made her highest break on the women's tour, a 116 in her semi-final match against Tatjana Vasiljeva. She was ranked world number one on the women's tour during the 2013–14 season. She and Vasiljeva were runners-up in the World Women's Pairs Championship in 2016; she and Reanne Evans won the event in 2018, defeating Laura Evans and Suzie Opacic 3–0 in the final.^[11] Her form declined after 2018, which she attributed to her father's death in that year, commenting in 2022 that "it’s been a constant struggle since then" and saying she had been "finding it difficult to practice, just feeling I was getting nothing out of it."^[12] In May 2022, she became the first woman to compete in the final stages of the World Seniors Championship at the Crucible Theatre, having reached the eligible age of 40 in February.^{[13] [14]} She lost 0–3 to Wael Talaat but made a half-century break in the final frame.^[15]

Catalano has expressed her belief that men have innate advantages over women in snooker. In 2014, after six-time world champion Steve Davis suggested that women lacked the "single-minded, obsessional type of brain" needed to succeed at the elite levels of the sport, Catalano agreed, saying, "I don't think women will ever compete with men at the top level [of snooker]. I believe that male and female species are wired mentally different... a man is more single-minded, so has a stronger concentration on one thing at a time."^[16] In August 2022, after Jamie Hunter won the inaugural US Women’s Open, Catalano threatened to quit the sport unless transgender players were excluded from women's tournaments.^{[17] [18]} However, Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, responded that women's events would continue to include transgender competitors, stating: "We have taken sufficient medical advice to be very satisfied that our policy is right for the current climate."^[19]

Personal life

Her father, Antonio Catalano, was the brother of Ronnie O'Sullivan's mother, Maria O'Sullivan (née Catalano), making the two players first cousins.^{[20] [21]} She was named Maria after Ronnie O'Sullivan's mother,^[22] while Ronnie O'Sullivan was given the middle name Antonio after her father.^[23] Following her father's death from cancer in 2018, she shaved her head on the eve of the 2018 UK Women's Championship to raise funds for the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.^[24] Outside snooker, she works in her family's ice-cream business.

Performance timeline

World Women's Snooker

Tournament[25]	1997/ 98	1998/ 99	1999/ 00	2000/ 01	2001/ 02	2002/ 03	2003/ 04	2004/ 05	2005/ 06	2006/ 07	2007/ 08	2008/ 09	2009/ 10	2010/ 11	2011/ 12	2012/ 13	2013/ 14	2014/ 15	2015/ 16	2016/ 17	2017/ 18	2018/ 19	2019/ 20	2020/ 21	2021/ 22	2022/ 23
Current tournaments
UK Championship	A	LQ	2R	SF	QF	QF	NH	SF	F	A	F	F	F	F	SF	W	F	A	QF	QF	SF	1R	F	NH	QF	2R
US Open	Tournament Not Held																									A
Australian Open	Tournament Not Held																						A	A	NH	A
Scottish Open	Tournament Not Held					F	Tournament Not Held																			A
Masters	Tournament Not Held										SF	SF	F	F	Not Held		F	SF	SF	QF	SF	1R	SF	NH	SF	2R
Belgian Open	Not Held			1R	QF	Tournament Not Held																A	QF	Not Held		A
Asia-Pacific Championship	Tournament Not Held																									A
	1R	2R	2R	QF	1R	QF	NH	SF	SF	QF	SF	F	F	SF	F	F	QF	A	1R	1R	F	A	Not Held		2R	QF
British Open	3R	1R	2R	QF	F	SF	NH	A	A	A	W	QF	SF	1R	Not Held		A	Not Held			1R	Not Held			SF
Former tournaments
National Championship	A	QF	Tournament Not Held
Grand Prix	A	2R	2R	1R	Tournament Not Held
Scottish Masters	A	2R	2R	QF	QF	1R	Tournament Not Held
LG Cup	Tournament Not Held				QF	1R	Tournament Not Held
European Masters[26]	Tournament Not Held					QF	Tournament Not Held															A	Not Held
Welsh Open	A	2R	2R	1R	QF	QF	Tournament Not Held
East Anglian Championship	Tournament Not Held								A	1R	A	F	W	SF	W	Tournament Not Held
Northern Championship	Tournament Not Held							F	W	Tournament Not Held					W	F	Tournament Not Held
Southern Championship[27]	Tournament Not Held									F	QF	F	F	F	1R	NH	F	Tournament Not Held
Eden Classic	Tournament Not Held																	F	QF	Tournament Not Held
Connie Gough Trophy[28]	1R	2R	3R	QF	QF	1R	QF	SF	W	W	W	SF	F	SF	W	W	F	F	A	W	Tournament Not Held
Paul Hunter Classic	Tournament Not Held																			SF	QF	Tournament Not Held
	Tournament Not Held																				2R	QF	QF	Not Held
6-Red World Championship	Tournament Not Held																				QF	QF	QF	Not Held

Performance Table Legend
LQ	lost in the qualifying draw	R	lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)	QF	lost in the quarter-finals
SF	lost in the semi-finals	F	lost in the final	W	won the tournament
DNQ	did not qualify for the tournament	A	did not participate in the tournament	WD	withdrew from the tournament

NH / Not Held				means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event				means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event				means an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Event				means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
PA / Pro-am Event				means an event is/was a pro-am event.

Titles and achievements

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score	Ref.
Runner-up	1	2001	British Open		0–4	[29]
Runner-up	2	2003	Scottish Open		1–4	[30]
Runner-up	3	2005	Northern Championship		2–4	[31]
Runner-up	4	2005	WLBSA' UK championship		0–4
Winner	5	2006	Northern Championship		4–1	[32]
Winner	6	2006	Connie Gough National		4–3	[33]
Winner	7	2006	Regal Ladies Championship		4–1
Winner	8	2007	British Championship
Winner	9	2007	Connie Gough National		3–1
Winner	10	2007	British Open		3–2
Runner-up	11	2007	South Coast Classic		2–4	[34]
Winner	12	2008	Connie Gough National		3–2
Runner-up	13	2008	East Anglian Championship		0–3	[35]
Runner-up	13	2008	UK Ladies Championship		1–3	[36]
Runner-up	14	2009			2–5	[37]
Runner-up	15	2009	South Coast Classic		0–3
Runner-up	16	2009	East Anglian Championship		0–3
Runner-up	17	2009	UK Ladies Championship		1–3
Runner-up	18	2010			1–5
Runner-up	19	2010	Connie Gough National		1–3
Runner-up	20	2010	South Coast Classic		1–3
Runner-up	21	2010	UK Ladies Championship		0–3	[38]
Runner-up	22	2010	East Anglian Championship		0–3	[39]
Winner	23	2011	Northern Championship	Ching Ching Yu	3–1	[40]
Winner	24	2011	East Anglian Championship		3–0	[41]
Winner	25	2012	Connie Gough Memorial		3–0	[42]
Runner-up	26	2012			3–5
Winner	27	2012	UK Ladies Championship	Tina Owen-Sevilton	3–0	[43]
Runner-up	28	2013			3–6
Winner	29	2013	Connie Gough Memorial		3–0	[44]
Runner-up	30	2013	Eden Resources Masters		0–4	[45]
Runner-up	31	2013	UK Ladies Championship		2–4	[46]
Runner-up	32	2014	Connie Gough Trophy		0–4	[47]
Runner-up	33	2014	Southern Classic		1–4	[48]
Runner-up	34	2014	Eden Classic		3–5	[49]
Runner-up	35	2016	Connie Gough Trophy		0–4	[50]
Winner	36	2017	Connie Gough Trophy		4–2	[51] [52]
Runner-up	37	2018			0–5	[53]
Runner-up	38	2019	UK Women's Snooker Championship		2–4	[54]

External links

• Profile on Global Snooker

Notes and References

1. Web site: Maria Catalano - Players - snooker.org . 2024-05-11 . www.snooker.org . en.
2. News: Catalano has eyes on first title . 1 May 2008 . BBC News . 23 April 2010 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012859/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7377252.stm . live .
3. News: Following Ronnie's footsteps . Birmingham Evening Mail . 28 April 1998 . 4 . Newspapers.com.
4. Web site: Maria Catalano . 2024-05-11 . World Women's Snooker . en-GB.
5. Web site: 2007 British Open - Results . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012907/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2007-british-open/results . 3 December 2020 . 3 September 2020 . snookerscores.net . World Women's Snooker.
6. News: 29 April 2008 . Evans geared up for fourth title . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012912/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/7373097.stm . 3 December 2020 . 23 April 2010 . BBC News.
7. News: Everton . Clive . Snooker . The Guardian Date=3 Mar 2003 . 53 . Newspapers.com.
8. Web site: Maria Catalano Ends Evans’ Record Run . 2024-05-12 . maximumsnooker.com . en.
9. Web site: WLBS Player Profile: Maria Catalano . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180509012704/https://www.womenssnooker.com/player/maria-catalano/ . 9 May 2018 . 8 May 2018 . womenssnooker.com . WLBS.
10. News: Ronnie O'Sullivan's cousin wants her glory . Express & Star . East Midlands . 21 March 2016 . 8 May 2018 . 8 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185705/https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2016/03/21/ronnie-osullivans-cousin-wants-her-glory/ . live .
11. Web site: 2018-04-23 . Dudley snooker stars Reanne Evans and Maria Catalano win world pairs title . 2024-05-12 . Dudley News . en.
12. Web site: Haigh . Phil . 2022-05-04 . O'Sullivan's cousin to make own Crucible history at World Seniors Championship . 2024-05-11 . Metro . en.
13. Web site: 6 April 2022 . Crucible Field Set for World Seniors Championship . 2024-05-13 . Seniors Snooker.
14. Web site: 2022-05-04 . Meet Maria Catalano, the first woman to compete in a Seniors Snooker main event . 2024-05-11 . The WPBSA World Seniors Tour . en.
15. Web site: WPBSA SnookerScores - Player Maria Catalano's matches in the Ways World Seniors Championship 2022 . 2024-05-13 . snookerscores.net . en.
16. News: Merrick . Jane . Swinburne . Zander . 4 May 2014 . You can't play snooker without balls: Steve Davis saying women can't compete with men at the top has sent critics potty . The Independent . 3 . Newspapers.com.
17. News: 2022-09-07 . Transgender snooker player Jamie Hunter criticised after winning US Women's Snooker Open . 2024-05-20 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
18. Web site: 2022-08-31 . Former World No1 Believes Women’s Game Could Die If Transgender Policy Isn’t Tightened . 2024-05-11 . The Sportsman . EN.
19. Web site: 2022-08-29 . Snooker's First Transgender Winner - WPBSA Boss Stresses Physiology Not An Issue . 2024-05-11 . The Sportsman . EN.
20. News: 28 March 2007 . Maria's right on cue . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120403073216/http://www.expressandstar.com/latest/2007/03/28/marias-right-on-cue/ . 3 April 2012 . 21 March 2018 . Express & Star . East Midlands.
21. News: Hendon . David . 29 March 2001 . On Cue: Maria makes her mark . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012913/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-72495174/on-cue-maria-makes-her-mark . 3 December 2020 . 24 April 2010 . Birmingham Evening Mail.
22. Web site: Parsons . Tom . 2022-05-05 . Ronnie O'Sullivan's cousin says family 'broke down' watching final . 2024-05-11 . Express.co.uk . en.
23. Web site: Sunderland . Tom . 2022-05-05 . Ronnie O'Sullivan's younger cousin to make history at World Seniors Championship . 2024-05-11 . Irish Mirror . en.
24. Web site: 2018-08-30 . Catalano to ‘Brave the Shave’ at UK Women's Snooker Championship . 2024-05-11 . World Women's Snooker . en-GB.
25. Web site: WPBSA Snooker Scores - Player: Maria Catalano. WPBSA Snooker Scores.
26. The event was called the European Open (2002/2003)
27. The event was called the South Coast Classic (2006/07–2009/10)
28. The event was called the Connie Gough Memorial (1997/98–1998/99, 2002/03 & 2011/12–2014/15) and Connie Gough National (1999/00–2001/02 & 2004/05–2010/11)
29. Web site: 2001 British Open - Knockout . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012906/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2001-british-open/knockout . live .
30. Web site: 2003 Scottish Open - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012854/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2003-scottish-open/results . live .
31. Web site: 2005 Northern Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012856/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2005-northern-championship/results . live .
32. Web site: 2006 Northern Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012912/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2006-northern-championship/results . live .
33. . Catalano's second . Snooker Scene . 22 . Everton's News Agency . April 2006.
34. . Women's circuit: Evans again . Snooker Scene . 33 . Everton's News Agency . March 2007.
35. Web site: 2008 East Anglian Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 12 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012152207/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2008-east-anglian-championship/results . live .
36. Web site: 2008 UK Ladies Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012906/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2008-uk-ladies-championship/results . live .
37. Web site: Past Champions . World Women's Snooker . womenssnooker.com . 1 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004753/https://www.womenssnooker.com/about/world-champions/ . 3 January 2019 . live .
38. Web site: 2010 UK Ladies Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012900/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2010-uk-ladies-championship/results . live .
39. Web site: 2010 East Anglian Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012908/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2010-east-anglian-championship/results . live .
40. Web site: 2011 Northern Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012910/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2011-northern-championship/results . live .
41. Web site: 2011 East Anglian Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012916/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2011-east-anglian-championship/results . live .
42. Web site: 2012 Connie Gough Memorial - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012921/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2012-connie-gough-memorial/results . live .
43. Web site: 2012 UK Ladies Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012908/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2012-uk-ladies-championship/results . live .
44. Web site: 2013 Connie Gough Memorial - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012909/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2013-connie-gough-memorial/results . live .
45. . Evans beats Catalano to win at Cambridge . Snooker Scene . 35 . Everton's News Agency . December 2013.
46. Web site: 2013 UK Ladies Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 2 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201102112441/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2013-uk-ladies-championship/results . live .
47. Web site: 2014 Connie Gough Memorial - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 6 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806193003/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2014-connie-gough-memorial/results . live .
48. Web site: 2014 Southern Classic - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012859/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2014-southern-classic/results . live .
49. Web site: 2014 Eden Classic - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 4 September 2020 . 12 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012152246/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2014-eden-classic/results . live .
50. Web site: 2016 Connie Gough Trophy - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 12 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012093642/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2016-connie-gough-trophy/results . live .
51. Web site: 2017 Connie Gough Trophy - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 16 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190816185500/https://snookerscores.net/player/rebecca-kenna/tournament-matches/2017-connie-gough-trophy . live .
52. Web site: Huart . Matt . Catalano claims sixth Connie Gough crown . World Women's Snooker . womenssnooker.com . 20 February 2017 . 3 September 2020 . 3 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201203012902/https://www.womenssnooker.com/catalano-claims-sixth-connie-gough-crown/ . live .
53. Web site: 2018 UK Women's Snooker Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 23 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201123100159/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2018-world-womens-snooker-championship/results . live .
54. Web site: 2019 UK Women's Snooker Championship - Results . World Women's Snooker . snookerscores.net . 3 September 2020 . 15 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200815160613/https://snookerscores.net/tournament-manager/2019-uk-womens-snooker-championship/results . live .