Jimmy White bids to emulate glory run in UK Championship snooker qualifying, who is playing? Latest odds, seedings

ByEurosport

Updated 17/11/2023 at 20:43 GMT

A number of key figures are involved in UK Championship qualifying between Saturday and Thursday as they chase a place in the last 32 of the 47th edition of the tournament in York. 1992 winner Jimmy White is in action on Saturday morning with former world champions Stuart Bingham, Ken Doherty and Graeme Dott and former UK winner Matthew Stevens all bidding to roll back the years.

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Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White will be involved in a fascinating generation game as he bids to emulate last year's glory run when UK Championship qualifying begins on Saturday morning.

The 1992 UK winner produced a memorable run in reaching the last 32 at the York Barbican and will begin his latest campaign against 19-year-old Chinese rookie Xing Zihao on Saturday morning at 9:30am in Leicester (live on Eurosport and discovery+).

White lost 4-1 to defending UK champion Mark Allen in the Champions of Champions in Bolton on Monday, but will hope to recapture peak form when he faces a player 42 years his junior at the Morningside Arena.

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The Tooting man enjoyed four victories – including glorious wins against 2004 UK winner Stephen Maguire (6-4) and Dominic Dale (6-1) – in qualifying for the final stages last year at the age of 60 before losing 6-2 to Ryan Day in York.

Ranking event winners Michael Holt and Marco Fu will also meet in the opening round of this year's tournament on Saturday morning.

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Day is forced to negotiate two qualifiers to return to York this year and will meet Lucas Kleckers, Rod Lawler or Liam Graham in the last 80 on Tuesday afternoon.

Three-time UK champion Ding Junhui was knocked out of the top 16 by Zhang Anda and Tom Ford's run to the International Championship final in Tianjin last week.

He will open against Ashley Carty, Daniel Wells or Mostafa Dorgham on Monday evening, with Maguire up against Ashley Hugill, Oliver Brown or Dean Young on Tuesday afternoon.

Former world champions Stuart Bingham, Ken Doherty and Graeme Dott and former UK champion Matthew Stevens all have to negotiate a path to the last 32 this year with qualifying concluding on Thursday ahead of the last 16 joining the action on Saturday 25 November.

Full draw here

UK Championship qualifying – key matches

Saturday 18 November

Rd 1: Marco Fu v Michael Holt 9:30am
Rd 1: Xing Zihao v Jimmy White 9:30am
Rd 1: Ryan Thomerson v Reanne Evans 7:30pm

Sunday 19 November

Rd 1: Liam Pullen v Iulian Boiko 9:30am
Rd 2: Ben Mertens v Marco Fu or Michael Holt 2:30pm

Monday 20 November

Rd 2: Ken Doherty v Muhammad Asif or Duane Jones 2:30pm
Rd 3: Ding Junhui v Ashley Carty/Daniel Wells or Mostafa Dorgham 7:30pm
Rd 3: Matthew Stevens v Robbie Williams/Jenson Kendrick or Oliver Briffett-Payne 7:30pm

Tuesday 21 November

Rd 3: Anthony McGill v He Guoqiang/Ross Muir or Andrew Pagett 9:30am
Rd 3: Stephen Maguire v Ashley Hugill/Oliver Brown or Dean Young 2:30pm
Rd 3: Ryan Day v Lucas Kleckers/Rod Lawler or Liam Graham 2:30pm
Rd 3: Stuart Bingham v David Lilley/Sean O'Sullivan or Baipat Siripaporn 7:30pm
Rd 3: Hossein Vafaei v Liu Hongyu/Martin O'Donnell or Jack Borwick 7:30pm

The world's top 16 all play their first matches at the finals venue.

Seven-time world, Masters and UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is next due in action against a qualifier on Tuesday 28 November at 1pm where he will chase a record eighth UK Championship title after lifting the trophy in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

O'Sullivan is seeded third behind defending UK champion Mark Allen and world champion Luca Brecel with the tournament live on Eurosport and discovery+ between Saturday 25 November and Sunday 3 December.