Banbury's snooker star Tessa Davidson is now the world's number one

She added the Winchester Women's seniors title to her world seniors title won in Sheffield earlier in the year and with her success in the British Open too she finishes the season in top spot among players over 40.

"It's brilliant, I'm thrilled," said Tessa, from Adderbury. "It couldn't have gone better.

The 52-year-old also reached the last eight in the main competition in Leicester, only losing 3-1 to world number one Reanne Evans after a couple of very close frames. Tessa had already beaten world number eight Susie Terry in the last 16.

"To be able to mix it with players of Reanne's quality is very encouraging, I enjoyed playing her," she said.

Tessa has also been awarded a WPBSA scholarship to become an accredited Level 2 coach.

"It will be a four-day course in Leeds this summer, with an exam, so it will be quite intense," she explained. "I'm very excited about adding that skill, as well as playing on tour. I hope to help and develop players of all abilities locally who want personalised and specific coaching."

Tessa is supported by Fast Eddie's Snooker and Pool Hall in South Bar, Banbury, which to mark their 40th anniversary, are running a handicap knockout snooker tournament in early May.

"It's open to players of all abilities and it would be great to have some girls and women in it as well," she added.

The new season of the World Women's Tour starts in September, with Tessa, a self employed gardener, hoping tournaments being negotiated in Australia, Thailand and America will be confirmed.

Tessa was a professional snooker player from the age of 18 to 30, winning the UK Championship three times, as well as many other titles.

She gave up when she had children and sponsorship had dropped out of the sport, taking many players to the USA for the big prize money instead.

She started playing again with friends at the end of last year after a break of 23 years and soon rediscovered her old form.