JIMMY WHITE rolled back the years with an emphatic victory at the UK Snooker Championship… 43 years after his debut in the tournament.
Veteran White, 62, first featured at the event all the way back in 1981.
GettyJimmy White won his first qualifying match for the 2024 UK Championship[/caption]
A fresh-faced White reached the semi-finals on his debut in 1981Rex
And he reached the semi-finals on a stunning debut, beating John Virgo, Dennis Taylor and Ray Reardon on his way to the final four.
There, the teenager was undone 9-0 by eventual champion Steve Davis.
White went on to reach the final in 1987 and 1991 but had to settle for the runner-up prize in both years.
But he finally got his hands on the trophy in 1992, exacting revenge on John Parrott from 12 months earlier.
Now, White is still plugging away on the pro snooker tour.
And on Sunday he headed to Leicester to begin his 2024 UK Championship campaign.
White faced Paul Deaville in his opening round of qualifying at the Mattioli Arena.
And the former world No2 saw off his opponent 42 years his junior with a 6-2 win.
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It is the second time in just a few weeks White has been 2004-born Deaville, having done so on his run to the Northern Ireland Open last 32.
The victory included a pair of half-centuries, including a break of 78 in the final frame to clinch the victory.
White, currently ranked No90 in the world, will still need to win another three matches in qualifying to book his spot in the first round of the event, which starts on Saturday at York’s Barbican.
The Whirlwind – who turned pro in 1980 – faces Ross Muir in his second qualifying match on Monday.
Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Ding Junhui in last year’s final to secure his eighth crown and will be hopeful of adding to his record tally on December 1.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season hen the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
1969 – John Spencer
1970 – Ray Reardon
1971 – John Spencer
1972 – Alex Higgins
1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
1977 – John Spencer (2)
1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
1979 – Terry Griffiths
1980 – Cliff Thorburn
1981 – Steve Davis
1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
1983 – Steve Davis (2)
1984 – Steve Davis (3)
1985 – Dennis Taylor
1986 – Joe Johnson
1987 – Steve Davis (4)
1988 – Steve Davis (5)
1989 – Steve Davis (6)
1990 – Stephen Hendry
1991 – John Parrott
1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
1997 – Ken Doherty
1998 – John Higgins
1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
2000 – Mark Williams
2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2002 – Peter Ebdon
2003 – Mark Williams (2)
2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
2005 – Shaun Murphy
2006 – Graeme Dott
2007 – John Higgins (2)
2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
2009 – John Higgins (3)
2010 – Neil Robertson
2011 – John Higgins (4)
2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
2014 – Mark Selby
2015 – Stuart Bingham
2016 – Mark Selby (2)
2017 – Mark Selby (3)
2018 – Mark Williams (3)
2019 – Judd Trump
2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
2021 – Mark Selby (4)
2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
2023 – Luca Brecel
2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
2 – Alex Higgins
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