White rides his luck
Crowd favourite Jimmy White is safely through to the last 16 of the Grand Prix - but the Whirlwind needed a large slice of luck at Preston Guild Hall this afternoon.
The world number eight defeated Ricky Walden 5-2 in this, his 25th season as a professional.
But in frame six, leading 3-2, he add a huge fluke on the blue ball just when it looked as though Walden might level matters.
“I had a humongous fluke on the blue but you take what you can get,” White said.
“There’s so much pressure on you to win your early matches because there’s only five ranking event tournament.
“I was very aggressive against Ricky, but there’s no mistaking he’s a great player. He’s definitely one for the future.”
White lost a scrappy opener, but then pinched the second frame, which lasted a painstaking half an hour.
But then the breaks came. The Whirlwind compiled a special 105 run and followed that up with 73 break to go 3-1 ahead.
Walden hit back with a break of 54 to reduce his arrears, but White’s fluke in the sixth frame turned the match in his favour.
He added a 52 run in the next frame, one which proved to be decisive as he booked his place in the next round.
White added: “I’m very pleased to have got these two matches under my belt.
“It’s hard at the start of the season and picking up ranking points is always important.”
White is confident he can go even further at this year’s tournament, but expressed little sympathy the top names that have already fallen at an early hurdle.
“I’m sorry to hear they’ve been knocked out,” joked White.
“Some big names have gone already, but there are still a lot of good players in the draw.
“I’m hitting the ball sweetly though, and I just want to carry on.”
Meanwhile, Nottingham youngster Michael Holt cruised to a comfortable 5-1 over Welsh veteran Darren Morgan, with breaks of 70, 76 and 53.
Stuart Bingham defeated Irishman Fergal O’Brien 5-2 with runs of 93 and 66, while O’Brien rallied with a 106 break.
Also through to the second round is Bristol potter Andrew Norman, who triumphed 5-1 over Michael Judge, a beaten semi-finalist at last year’s Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old has never reached the last 16 before, so was understandably delighted with his progress.
He said: “It was effortless snooker on my side.
“I was a bit twitchy after the break and I started to feel the pressure, but I held myself together.
“My heart was beating quickly, but I’m a better player now than when Michael [Judge] beat me when we last met each other.
“I feel as if I’ve underachieved myself in the last few years, but it’s about getting that inner self-belief.
“Shaun Murphy has shown that and now I’m starting to believe in myself a lot more.”
