 'The Whirlwind' has come agonisingly close to being world champion |
Jimmy White failed to qualify for the World Championship for the third consecutive year on Sunday after losing 10-8 to Andy Hicks in Sheffield. The six-times world runner-up battled hard to make the third qualifying round but finally fell to Devon's top cueman, despite making breaks of 124 and 120. Meanwhile, former world champion Steve Davis plays Barry Pinches or Adrian Gunnell in the final qualifying round. Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan starts the 2009 tournament on 18 April. Also playing at the weekend was Matthew Couch, who beat Andrew Norman 10-4, to set up a clash with 1991 world champion John Parrott.  | 606: DEBATE |
Tony Knowles, three-times world semi-finalist in the 1980s, clinched a surprise 10-9 victory over Tour professional Stefan Mazrocis at the qualifiers on Thursday, before losing to Ireland's Rodney Goggins on Saturday. Knowles, former world number two, has been out of the elite top 16 for 19 years, and had already won three matches at the EIS in Sheffield. After grabbing the first three frames with breaks of 66, 43 and 44, Knowles struggled to keep up his form as Goggins, a former world under-21 champion, cruised home. Former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens, 1997 world champion Ken Doherty and two-times world winner Mark Williams are all in action in the final round of qualifying next weekend.
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