The Hindu : Sport / Billiards & Snooker : Gray sends White packing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 22, 2006

Sport

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Gray sends White packing

SHEFFIELD: Jimmy White will need to win two qualifying matches next year to secure a return to the World championships after losing his first round match against David Gray 10-5 here on Thursday.

The defeat means he has now slipped out of the world's top 32 players who receive automatic entry into the World championships.

The loss rounded off a disastrous season for the six-time former World championship runner-up, who began the campaign ranked No. 8.

Playing his practice partner, the 43-year-old Londoner was always behind from the moment Gray knocked in a break of 65 to capture the opening frame.

He trailed 6-3 overnight and while the crowd hoped for a memorable comeback on Thursday, they were quickly disappointed as Gray took the first three frames, two of which he pinched on the black.

``I never got going and really struggled - it was very frustrating,'' said White, who was appearing at the Crucible for the 25th year.

The results:

David Gray (Eng) bt Jimmy White (Eng) 10-5. Frame scores (White first): 36-65 (65), 58-66 (58 White), 7-114 (109), 36-62, 83-8 (75), 99-4, 48-75 (62), 89-7, 49-73, 48-56, 10-64, 47-52, 62-49, 94-0 (53), 34-62 .

Ryan Day (Wal) bt Joe Perry (Eng) 10-3. Frame scores (Perry first): 124-2 (97), 15-74 (57), 21-86 (86), 26-75, 16-62, 1-70, 61-78 (65), 25-80, 80-24, 49-79, 96-30 (55), 61-71, 59-60. — AFP

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