Matthew Stevens of Wales knocked Jimmy White out of the World Snooker
Championships with 'the Whirlwind' blaming his atrocious play on the 13-5 second
round defeat.
In other Monday action qualifier Shaun Murphy shocked 1998 champion
John Higgins 13-8.
Murphy, leading 9-7 overnight, won four out of the next five frames to book a last eight
encounter with Steve Davis.
Stevens, the number six seed, went into Monday's session with a yawning
12-4 lead but White, six times a runner-up here, gave his fans hope when
knocking in a frame-winning break of 68.
But a missed long green early in frame 18 proved to be White's final
shot of the tournament, Stevens compiling a 69 to book his ticket into the
quarter-finals.
"In a way there was quite a bit of pressure on me today because I
wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible," said Stevens, who was
beaten in the final by compatriot Mark Williams five years ago.
"Jimmy had beaten me the last couple of times we had played, but I felt
confident going into the match and was really up for it."
White had failed to make a half-century in the opening two sessions and
could not understand why he had performed so poorly.
"I'm just devastated that I didn't take my practice form onto the match
table," said the 42-year-old Londoner.
"There had been little signs of me playing okay when I beat Fergal
O'Brien in the first round.
"I think I should have gone home between the two matches. I didn't get
enough practice up here and missed my usual routine.
"Last night I was just atrocious. I couldn't hit the right side of the
ball and I was stabbing at shots.
"I thought I had a chance of winning this year but I didn't produce my
form at all. Hopefully I will be ranked in the top eight next season
though, so I've a lot to look forward to."
Monday night's play concerns Peter Ebdon and Stephen Lee, deadlocked at
8-8, and Ian McCulloch, who leads 9-7 in his second round match against
former world champion Mark Williams.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-26 09:56
