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.
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.
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.
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.
UK Championship qualifying – key matches
- 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
- Rd 1: Liam Pullen v Iulian Boiko 9:30am
- Rd 2: Ben Mertens v Marco Fu or Michael Holt 2:30pm
- 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
- 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.
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The moment Allen ended his wait for a UK Championship title
2023 UK Championship seedings
- 1. Mark Allen (NI)
- 2. Luca Brecel (Bel)
- 3. Ronnie O’Sulllivan (Eng)
- 4. Judd Trump (Eng)
- 5. Mark Selby (Eng)
- 6. Neil Robertson (Aus)
- 7. Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- 8. Kyren Wilson (Eng)
- 9. Mark Williams (Wal)
- 10. Ali Carter (Eng)
- 11. John Higgins (Sco)
- 12. Barry Hawkins (Eng)
- 13. Jack Lisowski (Eng)
- 14. Robert Milkins (Eng)
- 15. Zhang Anda (Chn)
- 16. Tom Ford (Eng)
Latest UK Championship odds
- Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng) 5/1
- Judd Trump (Eng) 5/1
- Mark Selby (Eng) 7/1
- Neil Robertson (Aus) 12/1
- Mark Allen (NI) 14/1
