Reanne Evans begins Champion of Champions bid against Shaun Murphy
Last updated on .From the section Snooker
Reanne Evans will begin her Champion of Champions challenge against former Crucible winner Shaun Murphy when she becomes the first woman to compete against the world's best men.
The 34-year-old Briton's place was assured when Ronnie O'Sullivan, who had already qualified, won in Shanghai.
Defending champion O'Sullivan will play the winner of the World Open.
If that is a player who has already qualified for the Coventry event then veteran Jimmy White will get a spot.
White, 57, a six-time Crucible runner-up, won the World Seniors title this year.
The competition, with a top prize of £150,000, takes place at the Ricoh Arena from 4 to 10 November, and features tournament winners from the previous 12 months.
The format comprises 16 players split into four groups. Each group contains two semi-finals followed by a final, with the winners of the four groups going through to the overall semi-finals.
Earlier this year, Evans made history along with Emma Parker at the Snooker Shoot Out as they became the first women to play on television in the final stages of a ranking event in the UK. But Evans had yet to play competitive matches on television against opponents in the world top 16.
