Yahoo Finance Kenna rues bad luck on controversial Snooker Shoot Out debut
Rebecca Kenna’s TV debut didn’t go to plan after failing to hear the shot-clock in her Snooker Shoot Out opener in Milton Keynes.
Ranking event debutant Kenna, one of two female players in the field, got down on a shot but ran out of time as the competition’s unique rules haunted her against Germany’s Simon Lichtenberg.
But the 32-year-old seemed to be the victim of bad luck in the first-round match, which she lost 36-15.
“There was a malfunction in the arena so I didn’t hear the [shot clock] beeps, and we didn’t get the ten-second shot clock warning,” she told Eurosport.
“I didn’t hear the beeps so I was relaxed, and the referee calls a foul. That’s how it went.
“It was the first time I was in with the chance of a pot, the first time I had a go at a red so it could have been a different story.
“It’s disappointing more than frustrating. Not giving away a foul was one of the main things for me on the day.”
Kenna’s 2021 Shoot Out experience may be over but it’s unlikely this will be the last time she is seen in a TV event.
The Keighley native was a late bloomer into the game but is making up for lost time, with a snooker shop and her own coaching programme demonstrating her love for the sport.
“I started on the women’s circuit fairly late. And once I got hooked on that, I knew I could get high in the game,” she added.
“But you need your own table for that, so I devised a plan to get a shop and get a place with my own table in.
“I love practicing, and I’m able to get an income in by doing snooker coaching, which I love.
“I love the Shoot Out format, it’s fantastic that women get a chance to play a televised event because we need all the exposure we can get.
“I’d love to be back, I want to perform in big occasions so any opportunity is good.”
Watch the Snooker Shoot Out live on Eurosport and Eurosport app. https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/
