Jimmy White produced a majestic display of scoring to get his 2025/26 season off to a rousing start with a 5-2 victory over Anthony McGill in Wuhan Open qualifying on Tuesday. There was also a dominant win for world No. 2 Kyren Wilson, who eased to a 5-0 whitewash against rookie Connor Benzey, while Marco Fu hit three centuries in a 5-3 win over recent Crucible quarter-finalist Chris Wakelin.
‘What guts’ – White keeps World Championship dream alive with ‘extraordinary’ comeback win
Jimmy White made a glorious start to the new 2025/26 snooker season as he completed a heavy-scoring 5-2 win over Anthony McGill to qualify for the last 64 of the Wuhan Open.
The six-time world finalist produced some vintage form against Scotland’s former World Championship semi-finalist McGill, who won the first frame with a break of 51 before watching White turn on the style to win five of the next six at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.
Knocks of 92, 80, 90 and 71 were more than good enough to secure 63-year-old White’s progress and a meeting with former Grand Prix winner Marco Fu in the last 64 in Wuhan in August.
White’s victory remarkably comes 45 years after he turned professional in 1980.
The former Masters and UK champion will next face fellow evergreen potter Fu, who, like White, is playing on the main circuit via an invitational wildcard, with the Hong Kong player showing his enduring qualities in a 5-3 victory over recent Crucible quarter-finalist Chris Wakelin.
Like White, Fu was not shy in bringing some heavy scoring to the party.
After dropping the first two frames, Fu was inspired with runs of 120, 68, 136 and a closing 113 simply too hot for Wakelin to handle.
Former world champion Kyren Wilson, the world No. 2, also made a winning start to his campaign with a 5-0 whitewash of tour newcomer Connor Benzey, boosted by breaks of 74, 52 and 63.
Elsewhere, David Gilbert made two centuries in his 5-1 defeat of Cheung Ka Wai with Ryan Day beating Brazil’s Jonas Luz by the same scoreline and Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan edging out former women’s world champion Ng On-yee 5-3.
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The first-round ties involving defending champion Xiao Guodong, world No. 1 Judd Trump and seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan have been held over to the finals venue in China, with the competition being staged between August 24 and 30.
O’Sullivan has been handed a match against Allan Taylor in what could be his first appearance of the season at a ranking event, with Trump up against Farakh Ajaib and Xiao meeting former women’s world champion Mink
