England's Evans, who has won the tournament 12 times and is the defending champion, was beaten 4-1 by Wendy Jans of Belgium in the result of the day at the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy.

Jans has won 13 European Ladies Championship titles and claimed her first World Women’s Snooker title at the 2003 Scottish Ladies Open.

Earlier in the day Jans beat Laura Evans of Wales 4-1 in the last 16.

Jans reached the last four at the previous World Women’s Snooker Championship in 2019, losing to Thailand’s Nutcharut Wongharuthai.

Wongharuthai, runner-up at the previous edition in 2019 to Evans, defeated Yee, who has won the tournament on three occasions, 4-3.

In a dramatic match Wongharuthai led 3-0 before Hong Kong's Yee battled back to force a decider.

The decisive frame went down to the wire with Wongharuthai winning on the final black to secure a semi-final berth and ensure there will be a new name on the trophy tomorrow.

Earlier in the day Wongharuthai defeated two English players - Lesley Roberts 4-0 in the last 32 and Maria Catalano 4-2 in the last 16.

Elsewhere in the quarter-finals Rebecca Kenna beat Emma Parker 4-2 in the last four in an all-English encounter.

Earlier in the day Kenna had edged past fellow English player Tessa Davidson 4-3.

The remaining quarter-final saw England’s Jamie Hunter overcome Anja Vandenbussche 4-0.

Hunter had earlier won two knockout matches to secure her last eight place, defeating Harriet Haynes 4-0 in the last 32 and Suzie Terry 4-1 in the last 16.

In the semi-finals tomorrow Jans is set to take on Hunter, with Kenna facing Wongharuthai, in matches contested over the best of nine frames.

The two winners are then due to meet in the final later in the day, with the showpiece match due to be contested over the best of 11 frames.

The winner of the Mandy Fisher Trophy, named after the current President of World Women’s Snooker, is set to earn a place on the professional World Snooker Tour.