Jimmy White lived up to his famous nickname during the second round of the Northern Ireland Open but not because of his play at the table. On the contrary, the 62-year-old left the arena like a ‘whirlwind’ midway through a crucial frame, leaving both opponent Martin O’Donnell and the match referee confused.
White’s hasty exit came with a match at a crucial stage, with the scores locked at 2-2 after O’Donnell had hit back from twice trailing early on.
And he was set to move ahead for the first time, capitalising on White missing a simple red to move 44 points in front with just 43 left on the table.
But rather than retain hope his compatriot would miss and try and force a snooker, White decided enough was enough. Without stating or signalling why, he got out of his seat and headed for the backstage area, leaving O’Donnell looking on bemused.
The crowd were also taken aback, but after exchanging glances with the player, the head official awarded O’Donnell the frame. The six-time World Championship runner-up did then return in time for the next frame, but couldn’t stem the tide as he went out 4-2.
It meant disappointment for the crowd favourite who had sparked hopes of a good run at the tournament after his 4-2 win over Hossein Vafaei. That match was also overshadowed by a dubious moment, with the Iranian penalised for being deemed to have placed the white ball outside of the D in the final frame after White had potted it.
In his post-match interview however, O’Donnell chose not to focus on White’s evident frustration. Instead, he praised the icon for still being able to compete in the top professional events.
“Any win against Jimmy is a good win, he’s such a legend of the game and an inspiration for a lot of players,” he told Alan McManus. “To still be doing what he’s doing at his age and still enjoying practising and competing, it’s very inspirational.”
Indeed, simply managing to make the main draw in Belfast signified something of an upturn in form for White. He’s recently failed to make it through qualifying at the China Grand Prix, English Open, and British Open.
However, he held his nerve in the preliminary matches for this tournament, coming through tight games with both Paul Deaville and Jackson Page. He beat both players 4-3, and his appearance over the opening two rounds has again proved popular with the crowd.
World No.53 O’Donnell will now play Pang Junxu in the last-16. The Chinese player continued the misery for Luca Brecel in his own second-round match, beating the former world champion 4-1.
