Jimmy White: Veteran fails to reach World Snooker Championship again

Jimmy White knocked out of World Snooker Championship qualifying; The 2025 World Snooker Championship runs from Saturday, April 19 to Monday, May 5. Kyren Wilson will be the defending champion, having defeated Jak Jones in the 2024 final

Last Updated: 12/04/25 8:57am

Jimmy White will need either another invitational tour card or a trip to Q School to remain on the circuit after losing in World Championship qualifying

Jimmy White’s absence from the World Championship will stretch to 20 years after he lost in the second round of qualifying.

White, 62, has not featured at the Crucible since a first-round defeat back in 2006 and has lost in qualifying every year since.

That record stretched to a 19th year when he was beaten by Ashley Carty.

The Rotherham potter beat the six-time finalist 10-5 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

White will need either another invitational tour card or a trip to Q School to remain on the circuit, after suffering relegation.

Former German Masters winner Anthony Hamilton halted a sensational fightback from Steven Hallworth, who had trailed 9-0, crafting a momentum-defying clearance to win 10-8.

No player has ever won a best-of-19 match from 9-0 down but Hallworth appeared to be on course for history when he led 63-0 in the 18th frame. The match looked set for a final frame, when Hamilton summoned a clearance of 69 to win on the black.

“That’s as hard as trying to get over the line in a ranking final. It’s a story that would follow you round for the rest of your life. If you lose from 9-0, you’re on quizzes and stuff. You don’t want that,” said 53-year-old Hamilton.

“He was gone in the first session, I was gone there. It was a proper match of two halves. And when I say gone, I mean gone. It’s not like golf where you can have a little walk around. You are gone. You’ve been playing all these years and can’t make eight. So that was definitely the best break I’ve ever made.

“He was bossing everything. You see that scoreboard ticking and you are all over the gaff! I said to my mate at 8-0 I’m not over the line here, my eyes are not good enough to think this is a done deal. I knew I could lose the match.”

Fu makes history

Marco Fu made the seventh 16-red clearance in professional snooker history during his qualifying match against Ben Mertens on Thursday.

Hong Kong star Fu took the brown as an extra red, then potted the green, and went on to take all 15 reds with colours then cleared the table for a total of 139.

The highest break in snooker history was compiled by Jamie Burnett during the UK Championship qualifiers in 2004 when a free ball at the start of the frame helped him make a 148.

The seven 16-red clearances are:

148 – Jamie Burnett (2004 UK Championship)
141 – Ricky Walden (2008 UK Championship)
141 – Mark Selby (2018 China Open)
140 – Liam Highfield (2020 Scottish Open)
139 – Ryan Day (2023 Tour Championship)
139 – Marco Fu (2025 World Championship)
135 – Steve James (1990 World Championship)