Andrew Pagett ends Jimmy White’s 2022 World Championship qualification dream

Jamie Shaw in World Championship Qualifiers 5 April 2022

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Andrew Pagett in action (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Archive/PA Images)

Andrew Pagett booked his place in the Second Qualifying Round of the 2022 World Snooker Championship at the expense of Jimmy White in Sheffield on Monday.

White, who celebrates his 60th birthday next month, had been bidding to return to The Crucible for the first time since 2006, but saw his quest fall at the first hurdle a short distance away at the English Institute of Sport.

World number 109 Pagett, whose only previous Crucible appearance came back in 2011, took the opening frame with a break of 52 before White hit back with a 76 break to draw level.

The Welshman responded with four unanswered frames to storm clear, producing breaks of 59, 95 and 55 along the way as he made it 5-1.

White stopped the rot with a 54 break and added a 55 in the eighth, but only for Pagett to punish an unforced error from ‘The Whirlwind’ to dampen any hopes of a fairy-tale comeback.

Pagett will now face former Shoot Out champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the Second Round later this week.

Elsewhere, 17-year-old Robbie McGuigan hit back from 3-1 and 4-3 down to overcome Alfie Burden 6-4.

A memorable day for the teenage contingent also saw 15-year-old Liam Davies become the youngest ever winner of a World Championship match.

The emerging Welsh star defeated Ireland’s Aaron Hill 6-4 at the age of 15 years and 277 days, surpassing the record set by Ben Mertens by just two days after his qualifying win over James Cahill in 2020.

Davies fired in high breaks of 127, 60 and 72 as he reeled off the final four frames to set up a meeting with veteran Fergal O’Brien.

Two-time ranking event winner Michael White stormed to a 6-1 victory over Scotland’s Fraser Patrick with high breaks of 68, 73, 71 and 100.

Louis Heathcote held his nerve to edge out Belgium’s Mertens in a last-frame decider, while Duane Jones defeated reigning Women’s World Champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai 6-2 with top breaks of 61, 79, 65, 72 and 76.

WATCH THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)