SHANGHAI // Jimmy White, making a rare appearance at the match table, defeated Xiao Guodong 5-2 to make sure of his place in the last 32 of the Roewe Shanghai Masters yesterday. White rolled in a break of 102, the 262nd century of his career, to lead 2-0, along with a 67, 60, 57 and 51 as he gained revenge on Guodong who defeated him 5-0 in a qualifying round of last season's Northern Ireland Trophy.
The Chinese player, 19, made a half century himself in frame three, forcing White to admit: "The boy can play a bit, as I first found out a year ago, but here I managed to keep him out of the balls for most of the time. I was pleased with the way I played." The world No 65 now faces Romford's Mark King in a battle of the left-handers for a place in the last 16. Also through to the first round after a wild-card round introduction, are Ricky Walden, who thrashed Zhang Anda 5-0 and now tackles Stephen Hendry in the last 32, and Judd Trump who beat A Bulajiang 5-4 following a three-and-a-half-hour battle.
The two players in fact shared 33 penalty points on the green in the deciding frame but Trump kept his nerve despite hitting the pink failing to escape from the last snooker, and later cleared from brown to pink to make sure of a match against the Wembley Masters champion, Mark Selby. Anthony Hamilton and Li Yan resumed their wild-card round contest later with the Englishman leading 4-1 to allow the afternoon matches to start on time. The duo had completed only one frame at the time Walden and White had finished their matches.
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