Whirlwind Strikes Again: Jimmy White Stuns in Comeback Thriller to Set Up Showdown with World Champ Brecel
Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White continues to defy age and expectations with a stirring comeback win at the English Open, booking a blockbuster second-round tie against reigning world champion Luca Brecel. The 61-year-old snooker legend, a six-time World Championship finalist, demonstrated resilience and class as he rallied from behind to edge past Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wai 4-3 in a gripping encounter on Thursday in Brentwood.
White, who has enjoyed a resurgence on the World Snooker Tour this season—including a notable 5-2 victory over Anthony McGill in Wuhan Open qualifying—was slow out of the blocks, quickly falling 2-0 down against the 26-year-old Cheung. However, the veteran dug deep, crafting breaks of 50 and 57 to level the match at 2-2. Although Cheung regained the lead by taking a tense fifth frame on a re-spotted black, White responded with trademark grit, clinching the final two frames to secure the win.
The deciding frame saw Cheung lose momentum after snookering himself behind two reds while trailing 42-9. A failed escape attempt cost him a further 28 points, allowing White to close out the match with relative ease.
White’s reward is a marquee matchup with Belgium’s Luca Brecel on Saturday morning, live on discovery+. The pair have met only once before, with Brecel emerging a 4-0 winner at the Northern Ireland Open in 2020. The winner of their English Open clash will face Hossein Vafaei in the last 64 on Monday.
Meanwhile, Marco Fu showcased blistering form and scoring power in his opening match, breezing past Gao Yang 4-0 in under an hour. The 45-year-old Hong Kong star fired in breaks of 62, 79, 110, and 104, while maintaining the fastest average shot time this season—just 15.3 seconds per shot. Fu will take on Mark Davis next, with the victor advancing to meet Ali Carter.
With world No. 1 Judd Trump and defending champion Neil Robertson also in the draw, the English Open is shaping up to be a thrilling start to the Home Nations Series.
