Desislava has become one of the leading referees on the circuit in recent years and took charge of both the Masters and the UK Championship in 2022.
She has also refereed several other ranking event finals including the German Masters, Players Championship and English Open.
Growing up in her hometown of Sliven in Bulgaria, she played pool and snooker before becoming a referee. She went to study in Sofia a few years later and became a member of the Bulgarian Snooker Referees Association, passing her exam to become an international referee in 2012.
Desislava’s debut at a WST event came at the 2012 Bulgarian Open. She took charge of a ranking final for the first time at the 2016 Riga Masters. Three years later she made her debut at the Crucible in the final stages of the World Championship.
Away from snooker, Desislava has a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture and creates 3D visualisations of homes. But building a career in refereeing is her main ambition.
Lives: Sofia, Bulgaria
Highest break: 36
Qualified as a referee: 2012
First pro match: I don't remember the match but it was during the PTC in Bulgaria in 2012.
Most memorable match: The Champion of Champions final in 2019 when Neil Robertson beat Judd Trump 10-9.
Most embarrassing moment: When I had to ask Judd Trump to bend over because there was a bee that crawled under his waistcoat!
If you weren’t a referee what would you do? Probably work in the field of architecture and interior design.
Which is the toughest rule to apply? The simultaneous hit.
What do you carry in your pocket? Two ball markers and a coin.
Where do you get your gloves? From an English company called Southcombe.
Interests: Design, computer graphics and baking.