| Born | 5 September 1969 [1] England |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  England |
| Professional | 1991–1995 |
| Highest ranking | 1 (Women's) [2] 276 (WPBSA) [3] |
Stacey Hillyard (born 5 September 1969) is an English former professional snooker player, who won the 1984 amateur World Women's Snooker Championship at the age of 15, making her the youngest winner of the tournament. She reached the final of the competition on five further occasions.
Hillyard started playing snooker on a full size table at the YMCA club in Winton, aged 12. She played her first competitive women's snooker event in 1982, and lost on the final black to the reigning world champion Sue Foster. [4]
Hillyard won the 1984 Amateur World Women's Snooker Championship [5] aged 15, [6] defeating Canadian player Natalie Stelmach 4–1 in the final. Although Hillyard reached the final five additional times, she did not win the event again. Three of the finals were lost to Allison Fisher, the dominant player of the era. [7]
In 1985 in Bournemouth, Hillyard, still 15, became the first woman to compile a century break (114) in a competitive snooker match. [8]
When the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) opened membership for events to anyone over the age of 16 in 1990, Hillyard was one of six women to join, along with Allison Fisher, Ann-Marie Farren, Georgina Aplin, Karen Corr, and Maureen McCarthy, whilst 443 men joined at the same time. [9] At the 1991 Dubai Classic, Hillyard started in the second qualifying round, and defeated Dermot McGlinchey, Paul Hefford, Chris Carpenter, to progress to the 5th round, in which she lost 1–5 to Alex Higgins. Her last year on the WPBSA circuit was the 1994–95 snooker season, concluding with a 0–5 loss to Andrew Duff in the first qualifying round for the 1995 British Open. [3]
On 23 February 1992, Hillyard recorded a new highest break in competitive women's snooker, making 137 during the General Portfolio Women's Classic held in Aylesbury. [10]
Away from snooker, she served as a police officer. [11]
| Legend |
|---|
| World Championship (1–5) |
| Other (3–7) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1984 | World Women's World Snooker Championship (Amateur) |  Natalie Stelmach (CAN) | 4–1 | [12] |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1985 | World Women's World Snooker Championship | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 1–5 | [13] |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1987 | World Women's World Snooker Championship | Ann-Marie Farren (ENG) | 1–5 | [14] |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1990 | World Women's World Snooker Championship |  Karen Corr (NIR) | 4–7 | [15] |
| Winner | 1. | 1991 | Romford Classic | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 3–2 | [16] |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1991 | World Masters (Women's singles) | Karen Corr (NIR) | 2–6 | [17] |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1992 | Harlekin European Masters | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 5–6 | [18] |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1992 | Edwardian Classic | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 0–3 | [19] |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1992 | Saffron Classic | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 0–3 | [20] |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1993 | New Berkshire Classic | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 1–3 | [21] |
| Winner | 2. | 1993 | Pontins UK Championship | Tessa Davidson (ENG) | 4–3 | [22] |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1993 | World Women's World Snooker Championship | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 3–9 | [23] |
| Winner | 3. | 1993 | Regal Masters | Ann-Marie Farren (ENG) | 4–3 | [24] |
| Runner-up | 6. | 1994 | Pontins UK Championship | Karen Corr (NIR) | 3–4 | [25] |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1994 | World Women's World Snooker Championship | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 3–7 | [26] |
| Runner-up | 7. | 1994 | Llanelli Classic | Allison Fisher (ENG) | 2–4 | [27] |
Doubles and team events
Karen Corr is a Northern Irish professional pool and former snooker and English billiards player. She was inducted in the BCA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Kelly Teresa Fisher is an English professional pool, snooker and English billiards player.
Allison Fisher is an English professional pool and former professional snooker player.
Maria Catalano is an English snooker player from Dudley. 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.
The World Women's Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament on the World Women's Snooker Tour. Staged 41 times since the inaugural edition in 1976, it has produced 15 different champions, six of whom have won the title more than once.
Ann-Marie Farren is an English former snooker player. She won the World Ladies Snooker Championship in 1987, at the age of 16, and was runner-up in 1988 and 1989.
The 1990 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament. Sixty-six players entered the event, with the matches leading up to the semi-final being played at the Matchroom Club in Romford, England from 25 October and 4 November. The semi-finals and final were played at the Waldorf Hotel in London from 9–11 November, and received nine hours of television coverage on the European satellite channel Screensport. The competition was promoted by Barry Hearn's Matchroom organisation and sponsored by Trusthouse Forte and had a total prize fund of £30,000. Karen Corr, who had her 21st birthday on the day of her semi-final match, won in the final 7–4 against Stacey Hillyard. Following this tournament, losing finalist Hillyard replaced Allison Fisher as the top-ranked women's snooker player.
Katie Henrick, also known by her married name of Katie Martyn, is an English snooker and pool player. She was runner-up in the 2007 World Ladies Snooker Championship.
Kim Shaw is an English snooker and pool player. She was runner-up in the 1995 World Women's Snooker Championship, and was the first player to compile a century break in a World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association tournament.
Lisa Ingall is an English snooker player. She was runner-up in the 2000 World Women's Snooker Championship.
The 1991 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament played at various venues in the United Kingdom in 1991. Allison Fisher beat Karen Corr 8–2 in the final to win the title, and made a championship record break of 103 in the qualifying rounds.
Tessa Davidson is an English snooker player from Banbury, Oxfordshire. She competed on the women's tour from 1988–95 and again from 1998–99, during which time she won three UK Women's Championships and achieved a highest ranking of fourth in the women's rankings. She competed on the main professional tour during the 1992–93 snooker season.
The 1993 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament played in the United Kingdom in 1993. Defending champion Allison Fisher beat Stacey Hillyard 9–3 in the final to win the title.
The 2016 World Ladies Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament that took place at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, England, from 2 to 5 April 2016. The event was the 2016 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship first held in 1976.
The 1994 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament played in the United Kingdom and India in 1994 and was that year's edition of the Women's World Snooker Championship first held in 1976. The early rounds were played at the Cue Sports Snooker Club in Raunds, Northamptonshire and the quarter-finals onwards were played at the Meridien Hotel, New Delhi. Defending champion Allison Fisher beat Stacey Hillyard 7–3 in the final to take the title, her seventh and last Women's World Snooker Championship win.
The 1999 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament. It was the 1999 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship, first held in 1976.
The 2000 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament. It was the 2000 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship, first held in 1976.
The 2002 World Ladies Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament. It was the 2002 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship, first held in 1976.
The 1984 Women's World Amateur Snooker Championship was a 1984 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship, first held in 1976, and was played at the Breaks Snooker Sporting Club, Coventry, from 6 to 7 October. The tournament was won by Stacey Hillyard, aged 15, who defeated Natalie Stelmach 4–1 in the final.
Georgina Aplin is an English former professional snooker player.
