Jimmy White vows to make World Championship snooker return after stunning Judd Trump win – 'I'll be back at Crucible'
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ByEurosport
Updated 21/03/2023 at 23:10 GMT
Jimmy White reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the second time this season with a 4-2 win over Masters champion Judd Trump at the WST Classic in Leicester. The result means Trump cannot qualify for the elite Tour Championship next week in Hull. Eurosport analyst White later lost 4-1 to Pang Junxu chasing a quarter-final spot at the Morningside Arena, but has his eyes on a Crucible return.
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Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White enjoyed a 4-2 victory over Masters champion Judd Trump in the last 32 of the inaugural WST Classic before losing 4-1 to Pang Junxu in the last 16.
The six-time world finalist had followed up his opening 4-2 win over 2006 world champion Graeme Dott and 4-3 victory against former Welsh Open winner Joe Perry in the second round with another assured display of typical grit against Trump on Tuesday morning to reach the fourth round.
Trump had threatened to recover from trailing 3-0 after piecing together 73 in the fifth frame, but White maintained his composure on the colours to see out another fine performance and make the last 16 of a ranking event for the second time this season.
He lost 5-2 to Jack Lisowski at the German Masters in February and went down 4-1 Pang this time despite winning the first frame to boost his prospects of extending his stay until the ranking event's final day on Wednesday.
White has not played on the sport's biggest stage at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since he lost 10-5 to David Gray in the first round of the 2006 World Championship.
But feels he is playing well enough to negotiate at least three qualifying rounds to end his 17-year wait next month.
“I am playing ok, I just ran out of steam,” said White, who reached the last 32 of the UK Championship in November. “I’ll take a couple of days off now and get back to practice on Friday. I’ll be getting to the Crucible, I am playing too well.
“I’m really disappointed that I didn’t compete (against Pang). I won the first frame then I should have gone 2-0 up. I felt mentally drained.
"The buzz should get you through that, but I was tired and I was cueing poorly from the second frame onwards.
"Pang is one of my favourite Chinese players and I wish him all the best because he’s a hard worker.
"To beat the three players I have beaten this week and then not produce tonight is a disappointment."
Pang had enjoyed a 4-0 whitewash win against compatriot Si Jiahui, boosted by breaks of 139 and 96, and proved too strong for the London sporting icon later on as a 52 run in the fourth frame helped him reach the last eight without ever finding top gear.
He will face Oliver Lines after Neil Robertson's conqueror compiled 50, 69, 51 and 69 in a 4-1 win over Scott Donaldson.
To illustrate his potting renaissance period, at the age of 60, the evergreen White reached his last world final in 1994, five years after Trump was born, and won the last of his 10 career ranking titles at the 2004 Players Championship, four years after Pang was born.
“I was really nervous, and it’s OK to be nervous because it means you’re alive," said White after beating Trump for the first time in five matches. "Even though I went 3-0 up, I didn’t really play great stuff but he was struggling.
“I tried to keep him cold. I had a chance to win 4-0, a chance to win 4-1 and then the balls don’t forgive you and I lost a bit of discipline.
“It’s a big win for me. The last five times I’ve played him, he’s beaten me. I've played better than I played today and lost so a great win.”
Trump's defeat also ended his hopes qualifying for the elite eight-man Tour Championship in Hull next week (March 27-April 2).
He needed to reach the final of the Classic, but joins world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Williams and John Higgins in having the next few weeks off to prepare for the 47th World Championship in Sheffield (April 15-May 1).
Mark Selby secured his place on the starting grid for Hull with a 4-1 win against Daniel Wells in the last 16. Breaks of 73, 105 and 99 were good enough for the four-time world champion with Wells rolling in 123 in the fourth frame.
Mark Allen was bundled out in the last 16 4-1 by Noppon Saengkham and must now focus on his trip to the Tour event where he is top seed.
Only Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson can force his way into the top eight for the Tour Championship via the WST Classic, but he needs to at least reach the final to deny Ding Junhui a spot in the tournament.
A 4-1 win over David Grace that saw both players hit centuries set up a quarter-final meeting with Lukas Kleckers, who whitewashed Jackson Page 4-0.
John Higgins finished and started with century breaks (121 and 126) in a 4-2 win over Kyren Wilson. Higgins will meet Selby, who edged out Robbie Williams 4-3 on the final pink in the last 16, for a semi-final berth.
Latest Tour Championship qualifiers
(players in bold still competing at WST Classic)
- 1 Mark Allen £530,500
- 2 Shaun Murphy £240,000
- 3 Ali Carter £193,500
- 4 Kyren Wilson £179,000
- 5 Ryan Day £159,000
- 6 Robert Milkins £157,500
- 7 Mark Selby £143,000
- 8 Ding Junhui £140,500
- ---------------------------------------
- 9 Gary Wilson £133,500
- 10 Luca Brecel £131,000
- 11 Jack Lisowski £128,000
- 12 Judd Trump £120,000
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Latest WST Classic schedule/results
Quarter-finals (10am UK time, best of seven frames)
- Gary Wilson v Lukas Kleckers
- Pang Junxu v Oliver Lines
- Stuart Bingham v Ali Carter
- John Higgins v Mark Selby
Fourth round
- David Grace 1-4 Gary Wilson
- Lukas Kleckers 4-0 Jackson Page
- Jimmy White 1-4 Pang Junxu
- Scott Donaldson 1-4 Oliver Lines
- Noppon Saengkham 2-4 Stuart Bingham
- Ali Carter 4-3 James Cahill
- Kyren Wilson 2-4 John Higgins
- Robbie Williams 3-4 Mark Selby
Third round
- Judd Trump 2-4 Jimmy White
- Si Jiahui 0-4 Pang Junxu
- Hossein Vafaei 2-4 Scott Donaldson
- Lyu Haotian 3-4 Oliver Lines
- Mark Allen 1-4 Noppon Saengkham
- Stuart Bingham 4-1 Martin Gould
- Xu Si 2-4 Ali Carter
- Anthony Hamilton 2-4 James Cahill
- Kyren Wilson 4-0 Tian Pengfei
- John Higgins 4-0 Jamie Clarke
- David Gilbert 2-4 Robbie Williams
- Daniel Wells 1-4 Mark Selby
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