Jimmy White has revealed that at the height of his rivalry with Steve Davis, he felt like hitting the six-time world champion with his cue. The Whirlwind, who lost to Davis in the 1984 World Championship final and the 1987 UK Championship final, admitted the 'Nugget's' smirk particularly irritated him.
Speaking on TNT Sport's Snooker Breakdown programme last year, White said: 'I think with Davis, he had that smirk. You wanted to hit him across the head with the cue. But he was so good.' Despite the intense rivalry, White stressed he held enormous respect for Davis, describing their battles as 'healthy for the game'.
The 63-year-old contrasted Davis with other greats, including Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan. White praised Hendry's 'mettle and determination' and O'Sullivan's natural talent, calling the latter an 'ultra-winning machine'. He noted that both Hendry and O'Sullivan could shut out the crowd during matches, while Davis was more outwardly competitive.
White, who continues on the World Snooker Tour, failed to qualify for this year's World Championship, losing to Gao Yang in the opening round of qualifying. The tournament begins on Saturday, with Zhao Xintong defending his title and O'Sullivan seeking a record eighth world crown. Both White and Davis will feature as pundits for broadcasters during the event.
