Jimmy White targets snooker tournament win next year and Crucible return after earning new tour card on merit
:focal(145x121:147x119)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/07/15/3411067-69701524-310-310.jpg)
Updated 02/05/2023 at 15:01 GMT
Jimmy White says his target for next season is to return to the Crucible for the first time since 2006 and to win a tournament. White’s last ranking event triumph on the tour came at the 2004 Players Championship. He earned a new tour card for the new season on merit after having his best campaign in recent memory, where he reached the main draw of the UK Championship in November.
Exclusive: White targets tournament win and Crucible return next year
Jimmy White has revealed he wants to win a tournament next season as part of his three-year snooker plan.
White, who turned 61 on Tuesday, had one of his most successful seasons in recent memory after reaching the main draw of the UK Championship for the first time since 2010 and had good runs at the German Masters and WST Classic.
At the WST Classic, White beat Judd Trump in the third round, before losing to eventual finalist Pang Junxu in the last-16.
The Whirlwind’s hopes of reaching the Crucible came to an end in the second round of qualifying when he was beaten 10-4 by Martin O’Donnell.
“I've had such a good season, even though I was a bit disappointed about not qualifying for Sheffield,” White told Eurosport.
“I ran out of a little bit of steam and didn’t perform, so I was a bit devastated about that. But that happens at my age - sometimes you have off days.
“[I want] to win a tournament next year and definitely get to Sheffield and hopefully on the third year [of my plan], come to Sheffield as the best player I've ever been.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/11/12/3488930-71125773-2560-1440.jpg)
'Come on Jimmy!' - White given standing ovation on main draw return at UK Championship
He added: “What I put my good season down to is I'm working with a guy called Kevin Dutton, who works with Ronnie O'Sullivan, a mindset guy [who] gets you focused. I've also been practicing really hard with my son.”
White dropped out of the top 64 for the first time in 37 years in 2017, meaning he lost his tour card. However, he was awarded an invitational tour card, along with Ken Doherty.
He received another one in 2021 but his good season earned him a place on the snooker circus on merit for the new campaign, which begins at the end of June.
“I put in a three-year plan,” said White. “My plan this year was to stay on tour, not ask for a wild card and I managed to do that on merit.
“So I'm very proud of that, I played some good matches, beat some good players. I know my game is there and I'm looking forward to the new season."
- - -
Stream top snooker action live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement