Keighley ace Rebecca Kenna in spat after Manchester final

But the Keighley ace’s achievement was marred slightly over a spat with pundit and seven-time Crucible champion Stephen Hendry, not the first time she has been criticised by a male player.

It was a disrupted build up to the event for Kenna, who had been due to play alongside Mark Allen, only for the Northern Irishman to pull out a few days before the event.

That meant Mark Selby was a last-minute replacement to play alongside her.

But he was Kenna’s partner at last year’s Mixed Doubles anyway, and the duo showed their chemistry once again at the event, which was broadcast on ITV4.

They drew their opening group game 2-2 against Judd Trump and Baipat Siripaporn, before producing the same result in their clash with Neil Robertson and Mink Nutcharut.

That left Selby and Kenna needing to beat Luca Brecel and Reanne Evans to join them in the final at the expense of Trump and Siripaporn, with last year’s winners Robertson and Nutcharut already out after failing to win any of their three games.

And the Keighley and Leicester duo held their nerve, winning 3-1 to ensure they finished top of the group, as the only pairing not to lose a match up to that point.

They fell short when it mattered in their rematch with Brecel and Evans, who won the final 4-2, despite Selby and Kenna fighting back from two frames behind to level the game at one point.

But Kenna’s cautious play was criticised by Hendry, leading to a back and forth between the pair:

I agree I lack the self confidence to take on shots. I didn’t back myself to pot either pink or black & didn’t want to leave them plum in after working so hard to get back into the frame. I play and learn, I’m building confidence from every match. 1 day I may be fearless 💪 https://t.co/GmiiTzScNF

— Rebecca Kenna (@RebeccaKenna89) April 1, 2024

That Mixed Doubles event was the Keighley star’s penultimate appearance on the professional World Snooker Tour.

Her two-year card is very unlikely to renewed at the end of the month, meaning she is set to bow out of the pro ranks after taking part in the World Snooker Championship qualifiers, which start next Monday.

Kenna told the T&A last week that her only really hope of staying on the WST is if she can reach the main draw at the Crucible.

That looks like it will be a step too for the Keighley potter, who has yet to win an individual game in her two years on the Tour so far.