Snooker legend Jimmy White brought the house down at the World Seniors Championship with a cheeky comment to a referee, earning a round of applause from the Crucible crowd. The 64-year-old, known as 'The Whirlwind', was competing against Robert Milkins in the last 16 of the tournament when he made the outrageous remark mid-break.
Trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven match, White needed to win the frame to force a decider. With the frame already secured, the six-time World Championship runner-up found himself in a jovial mood. As his break reached 69, White turned to the referee and asked, 'How many?' When the official appeared sheepish, White repeated the question. Eventually, he quipped, 'It's been a while,' drawing laughter from the audience.
White then coolly potted a tricky red before turning back to the referee and adding, 'Not for you, I don't think!' This prompted more laughter from the crowd before White completed a break of 86. However, his amusement was short-lived as the match went to a black-ball shootout under World Seniors rules.
White attempted to double the black down the length of the table, but the ball stuck in the jaws of the yellow pocket, allowing Milkins to pot the black and secure a 4-3 victory. Milkins now advances to the quarter-finals, where he will face Igor Figueiredo of Brazil. Figueiredo reached the last eight by defeating defending champion Alfie Burden 4-0 in a match that was moved to a practice table due to an issue with one of the main tables.
The tournament was disrupted by a bizarre incident during Matthew Stevens' match against Dominic Dale. Stevens attempted to pot a red, only for both the red and white balls to jump off the baize. Organisers were forced to wait until the conclusion of Ali Carter and Roger Farebrother's match before resuming Stevens vs Dale on the other table, with Burden vs Figueiredo moved backstage. Stevens eventually defeated Dale, while Carter saw off Farebrother to reach the last eight.
A statement from World Seniors Snooker read: 'Due to a fault with Table Two, there will be no further play on it this evening. Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale will conclude their match on Table One following Ali Carter v Roger Farebrother. Alfie Burden and Igor Figueiredo will play at 9pm BST in a private area of the practice room. Table Two will be replaced overnight.'
The World Seniors Championship, boasting a prize fund of £80,000, has attracted several big names, including seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan will face 1997 world champion Ken Doherty in the second round on Friday afternoon. Another legend, Mark Williams, had been scheduled to participate but withdrew on the eve of the tournament.
