A remarkable run of results continued for Jimmy White at the 2023 WST Classic on Tuesday as he beat 2019 world champion Judd Trump 4-2 to reach the last 16 in Leicester.
'The Whirlwind' was in devastating form early on at the Morningside Arena and went three frames up before 'The Juddernaut' rediscovered some rhythm. It wasn't to last, however, as White—who turns 61 in May—advanced to set up a round-of-16 clash against China's Pang Junxu later on Tuesday.
"[When] I started off, I was really nervous," White told the World Snooker Tour after the biggest win of his season thus far. "And it's okay to be nervous, because it means you're alive! Do you know what I mean, at my age.
"But even though I went 3-0 up [and] really played great stuff, he was struggling so I tried to keep him cold. . . and then the balls start to not forgive you, and I lost a bit of discipline. For me, if you're not a fan of Judd Trump, you're not a fan of snooker. It's a big win for me."
Fans were in awe of White's wizened performance as one praised: "What an absolute legend, the word is thrown out far too often, but The Whirlwind is." Another Twitter user hailed the snooker great as "still the best" as the plaudits rolled in over social media.
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White also made it to the last 16 of the German Masters in February but was ousted by semi-finalist Jack Lisowski at that stage. He'll look to hit a new high this season by overcoming Pang, who has dropped only two frames in three matches so far at the inaugural WST Classic.
The defeat was a bitter one for Trump, who can no longer qualify for the Tour Championship, which gets underway in Hull next Monday. The 33-year-old Bristolian needed to reach the final in Leicester to book his spot in the eight-man tournament but will instead now focus his efforts on next month's World Championship.
White, meanwhile, continues his promising run through the field after already besting some respectable competition at the Classic. The veteran started his campaign with a 4-2 victory over 2006 world champion Graeme Dott, which he followed up by beating last year's Welsh Open winner, Joe Perry, 4-3 in the second round.
"The last five times I've played him [Trump], he's beaten me," added White. "And [in the past] I've played better than I've played today, and lost. So it was a great win for me."
