Jimmy White once again put his legion of supporters through the wringer as he survived an epic encounter at the World Snooker Championship qualifiers.
With the clock reaching 1:23am at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, opponent Anton Kazakov finally offered his hand in defeat.
It had been a gruelling fixture right from the off as six-time World Championship runner-up White began his latest quest to return to the Crucible Theatre.
Not since 2006 has the Whirlwind graced the sport’s most iconic stage, but his victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning takes him one step closer this year.
The 62 year-old edged a close opening frame on the black, an early signal to what was to transpire across the day’s dramatic play.
White, who lost the third frame after succumbing to the three-miss rule, looked visibly frustrated with his level as he proceeded to lose the opening session – at one point thumping the table with his fist in anger.
When Ukraine’s Kazakov, only able to compete this year as a top-up amateur from Q-School, duly made it 7-3 in the evening session, a sorry climax for White and his fans seemed in store.
But the latter dug deep and discovered unlikely form, compiling breaks of 126, 71, and 56 to restore parity before moving to within the brink of glory at 9-7.
Of course, it could never be easy.
After Kazakov took a protracted 17th frame, the 20 year-old fought back from 51 points down to pinch the penultimate frame on the black.
An hour-long decider ensued, and despite error-strewn play on both sides, White eventually potted green to blue to seal his spot in the second round.
Next up for the ten-time ranking event winner is Ashley Carty, with three more wins required if he’s to secure his Crucible comeback.
Elsewhere, there was a strong performance from Zhao Xintong as the young Chinese star pummelled Cheung Ka Wai 10-3.
Zhao may be competing as an amateur as he continues his career revival following a ban, but he’s actually considered among the betting favourites to capture this year’s World Championship crown.
The 28 year-old produced title-winning form in his first outing of the competition – contributing breaks of 141, 132, 128, 122, 98, 90, 84, and 77 in a dominant display.
Rising teenage prodigy Michal Szubarczyk was unable to extend his stay in the event, however.
The 14 year-old, who has the opportunity to join the World Snooker Tour as a professional next season after his appearance in the European Amateur Championship final, lost 10-8 to Dean Young.
Most of the higher-ranked players have safely advanced so far, but Steven Hallworth, Iulian Boiko, Dylan Emery, and Mateusz Baranowski were among the amateur winners in round one so far.
2025 World Snooker Championship Qualifiers
– draw and schedule –
Qualifier 1
Round 1
Hammad Miah 10-0 Jonas Luz
Huang Jiahao 10-4 Amaan Iqbal
Round 2
Rory Thor vs Hammad Miah
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Daniel Wells vs Huang Jiahao
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Gary Wilson vs Thor/Miah
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Dominic Dale vs Wells/Huang
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Wilson/Thor/Miahvs Dale/Wells/Huang
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 2
Round 1
Amir Sarkhosh 2-10 Mateusz Baranowski
Artemijs Zizins 4-10 Dylan Emery
Round 2
Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Mateusz Baranowski
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Joe Perry vs Dylan Emery
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Zhou Yuelong vs Chadha/Baranowski
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Yuan Sijun vs Perry/Emery
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Zhou/Chadha/Baranowski vs Yuan/Perry/Emery
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 3
Round 1
Chris Totten 7-10 Mitchell Mann
Antoni Kowalski 10-4 Reanne Evans
Round 2
Liu Hongyu vs Mitchell Mann
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Zak Surety vs Antoni Kowalski
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Ricky Walden vs Liu/Mann
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Jack Lisowski vs Surety/Kowalski
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Walden/Liu/Mann vs Lisowski/Surety/Kowalski
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 4
Round 1
Wang Yuchen vs Brian Cini
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Duane Jones vs Florian Nuessle
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Round 2
Graeme Dott vs Wang/Cini
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Ma Hailong vs Jones/Nuessle
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Robert Milkins vs Dott/Wang/Cini
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Hossein Vafaei vs Ma/Jones/Nuessle
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)v
Round 4
Milkins/Dott/Wang/Cini vs Vafaei/Ma/Jones/Nuessle
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 5
Round 1
Liam Graham 10-9 Fergal Quinn
Robbie McGuigan 10-6 Hatem Yassen
Round 2
Ross Muir vs Liam Graham
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Mark Davis vs Robbie McGuigan
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Tom Ford vs Muir/Graham
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Ben Woollaston vs Davis/McGuigan
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Ford/Muir/Graham vs Woollaston/Davis/McGuigan
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 6
Round 1
Ben Mertens 10-5 Daniel Womersley
Cheung Ka Wai 3-10 Zhao Xintong
Round 2
Marco Fu vs Ben Mertens
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Long Zehuang vs Zhao Xintong
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Elliot Slessor vs Fu/Mertens
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Lyu Haotian vs Long/Zhao
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Slessor/Fu/Mertens vs Lyu/Long/Zhao
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 7
Round 1
Liam Davies 10-2 Ahmed Aly Elsayed
Sunny Akani 10-3 Kreish Gurbaxani
Round 2
Sanderson Lam vs Liam Davies
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
David Grace vs Sunny Akani
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Ryan Day vs Lam/Davies
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Noppon Saengkham vs Grace/Akani
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Day/Lam/Davies vs Saengkham/Grace/Akani
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 8
Round 1
Farakh Ajaib 10-2 Baipat Siripaporn
Alexander Ursenbacher 10-6 Paul Deaville
Round 2
Jordan Brown vs Farakh Ajaib
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Xing Zihao vs Alexander Ursenbacher
(Apr 10: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Martin O’Donnell vs Brown/Ajaib
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Chris Wakelin vs Xing/Ursenbacher
(Apr 13: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
O’Donnell/Brown/Ajaib vs Wakelin/Xing/Ursenbacher
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 9
Round 1
Oliver Lines 10-8 Mohammed Shehab
Manasawin Phetmalaikul 10-3 Leone Crowley
Round 2
Michael Holt vs Oliver Lines
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Robbie Williams vs Manasawin Phetmalaikul
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Stuart Bingham vs Holt/Lines
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Fan Zhengyi vs Williams/Phetmalaikul
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Round 4
Bingham/Holt/Linesvs Fan/Williams/Phetmalaikul
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 10
Round 1
Andrew Pagett 2-10 Iulian Boiko
Allan Taylor 10-7 Joshua Thomond
Round 2
Louis Heathcote vs Iulian Boiko
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Jamie Clarke vs Allan Taylor
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Joe O’Connor vs Heathcote/Boiko
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Jackson Page vs Clarke/Taylor
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Round 4
O’Connor/Heathcote/Boiko vs Page/Clarke/Taylor
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 11
Round 1
Julien Leclercq 10-7 Zhou Jinhao
Jimmy White 10-9 Anton Kazakov
Round 2
Jamie Jones vs Julien Leclercq
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Ashley Carty vs Jimmy White
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Xu Si vs Jones/Leclercq
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Pang Junxu vs Carty/White
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and Apr 14: 2:30pm)
Round 4
Xu/Jones/Leclercq vs Pang/Carty/White
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 12
Round 1
Mostafa Dorgam vs Simon Blackwell
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Andrew Higginson vs Ryan Thomerson
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Round 2
Matthew Stevens vs Dorgham/Blackwell
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Jiang Jun vs Higginson/Thomerson
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Stevens/Dorgham/Blackwell
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Wu Yize vs Jiang/Higginson/Thomerson
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Un-Nooh/Stevens/Dorgham/Blackwell vs Wu/Jiang/Higginson/Thomerson
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 13
Round 1
Gong Chenzhi 10-7 Kaylan Patel
Haris Tahir 10-6 Joshua Cooper
Round 2
Stuart Carrington vs Gong Chenzhi
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Aaron Hill vs Haris Tahir
(Apr 9: 2:30pm and Apr 10: 2:30pm)
Round 3
David Gilbert vs Carrington/Gong
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Anthony McGill vs Hill/Tahir
(Apr 12: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Gilbert/Carrington/Gong vs McGill/Hill/Tahir
(Apr 15: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 14
Round 1
Liam Pullen vs Gao Yang
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Haydon Pinhey vs Ken Doherty
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Round 2
Tian Pengfei vs Pullen/Gao
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
David Lilley vs Pinhey/Doherty
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Stephen Maguire vs Tian/Pullen/Gao
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Lei Peifan vs Lilley/Pinhey/Doherty
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Maguire/Tian/Pullen/Gao vs Lei/Lilley/Pinhey/Doherty
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 15
Round 1
Bulcsu Revesz 2-10 Steven Hallworth
Dean Young 10-8 Michal Szubarczyk
Round 2
Anthony Hamilton vs Steven Hallworth
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Stan Moody vs Dean Young
(Apr 11: 10am and 7pm)
Round 3
Matthew Selt vs Hamilton/Hallworth
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and April 14: 2:30pm)
Jimmy Robertson vs Moody/Young
(Apr 13: 2:30pm and April 14: 2:30pm)
Round 4
Selt/Hamilton/Hallworth vs Robertson/Moody/Young
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Qualifier 16
Round 1
Bai Yulu vs Liam Highfield
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Ian Burns vs Mink Nutcharut
(Apr 9: 10am and 7pm)
Round 2
He Guoqiang vs Bai/Highfield
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Alfie Burden vs Burns/Nutcharut
(Apr 11: 2:30pm and Apr 12: 2:30pm)
Round 3
Scott Donaldson vs He/Bai/Highfield
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Ali Carter vs Burden/Burns/Nutcharut
(Apr 14: 10am and 7pm)
Round 4
Donaldson/He/Bai/Highfield vs Carter/Burden/Burns/Nutcharut
(Apr 16: 11am and 5pm)
Featured photo credit: WST
