White edges closer to championship

Jimmy White is two matches from a return to the World Championship after a gritty 6-4 win over Michael Georgiou in the second qualifying round in Sheffield.

White, the six-time finalist who has not competed at the Crucible since 2006, took the first frame against the 32-yearold Cypriot.

However, Georgiou edged the next three frames to lead by two at the interval.

A break of 54 saw White over the line in the fifth and a snooker behind the brown, which Georgiou needed three attempts at, helped the 58-year-old draw level.

White took a scrappy seventh but a wayward safety shot let Georgiou, a Crucible debutant last year, in for a classy 121 clearance to make it 4-4.

White came out on top after a safety battle in the next to move to within one frame of victory and finished his opponent off in two visits to reach the penultimate qualifying round, where he will face Robert Milkins.

“I’m delighted,” White told Eurosport.

“From 3-1 down I was all at sea, missing safety shots, pots and positional shots.

“Mike had a couple of chances and he let me off, and I settled a little bit.

“I tried to play snooker and enjoy it, and from 3-3 I felt OK.

“I am really playing well – although it might not look like it – but against Robert I’m going to have to up my game again.”

Meanwhile Allan Taylor, who became a World Snooker Tour Home Nations master of ceremonies after dropping off the circuit last year, hit a career-best break of 145 on his way to a 6-1 win over Lee Walker. Jimmy White: Not qualified since 2006.

Picture: PA.