REBECCA Kenna is hoping that entries have flooded in for the Women's World Championships later this month in Malta.

The new world No 3 from Keighley revealed: "Normally the top two in the world are exempt from the group stages into the last 16, but if there are more than 30 entries I am hoping that they might make the top four exempt."

The WLBS World Championships will be held at the Dolmen Hotel in St Paul's Bay from March 14-17, and Kenna, who has reached the semi-finals in both 2016 and 2017, said: "There are potentially four or five winners, but I am not prepared to say whom.

"However, I know that on my day I can beat all of them."

The most likely champions are new world No 1 Ng On Yee, former world No 1 Reanne Evans, Kenna, Maria Catalano and 18-year-old Thai Nutcharut Wongharuthai.

Kenna last reached a final at the Connie Gough Memorial Trophy in February 2017, when she shocked Reanne Evans 3-2 in the semi-finals, but has been remarkably consistent, getting to the last four of the Paul Hunter Classic, the UK Championships, the Eden Classic and, most recently, the British Open.

So what does the 29-year-old need to do to contest the finals?

She said: "It used to be to improve my break-building, but I have done that.

"Now it is a matter of playing to the best of my ability under pressure."

Kenna, who has another practice partner in Ashley Ross in addition to her more regular practice partner in Andy Fowler – "Sean Murphy helped me by re-tweeting my appeal!" said Rebecca – has also gained a couple more sponsors in addition to her main backer LITEtask to help her cope with the expense of going to Malta.

Then former football player added: "I am getting help from Comet Steel, who used to back me when I was starting out, and Andrew Ramsey, a cuemaker who sells his equipment in my shop under his company name ADR.

"I am practising about 20 hours per week and the shop is going well, but my main source of income still comes from being a personal trainer."