Jimmy White and Zhao Xintong are defeated in York at 2022 UK Snooker Championship

Jimmy White, a veteran, lost against Ryan Day 6-2, ending his incredible run in the UK Championship.

The 60-year-old “The Whirlwind” had won four games to advance to the round of 32, but Day took the lead right away in York.

Welshman Day will now compete against Englishman Sam Craigie, who eliminated reigning champion Zhao Xintong 6-2 on Saturday.

Kyren Wilson, the seventh-ranked player in the world, defeated Matthew Selt 6-3 and will now play Mark Allen of Northern Ireland.

As the two Northern Ireland players met on the professional tour for the first time, Allen defeated close buddy Jordan Brown 6-4.

White, who is a fan favourite, received a thunderous welcome as he entered the arena for the first time during the tournament’s broadcast portions since 2010 and 30 years after his lone victory there.

Since Eddie Charlton, who was 63 years old in 1993, the six-time World Championship runner-up is the oldest player to make it into the final 32.

White believed that if he was at his best, he would have a chance to win the event. However, Day dominated with breaks that included 127 and 105, thus White was never at his best.

“I said to him at the end that he’s been one of my heroes all my life and to share that occasion with him was a real privilege,” said Day.

‘To play a hero in front of a crowd like that was special.”

The 28-year-old Englishman Craigie, who is rated 47 in the world, astounded China’s Zhao.

Craigie, a qualifier, claimed to feel sick before his match, but it didn’t show as he cleared the bar 83 times to win the opening session.

Zhao recovered and took the lead at 2-1 but his opponent stormed back to win with a century break in the final five frames.

“I just woke up with a headache and felt a bit shaky,” said Craigie.

He was buoyed by crowd support at the Barbican and said of the vocal backing: “It was hard to take it in. I loved it.”

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