White Crowned World Seniors King
Jimmy White defeated fellow Londoner and good friend Alfie Burden 5-3 in the final at the Crucible Theatre to win the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship.
It is the fourth time that the evergreen White has claimed the premier title on the world seniors scene following previous triumphs in 2010, 2019 and 2020.
The finalists had reached the showpiece match in impressive fashion, dropping just two frames each en route. Earlier in the day in the semi-finals, White ended the run of a resurgent Tony Drago 4-1, while Burden got the better of Ben Hancorn by the same scoreline.
After a nervy start to the opening frame for both, Burden looked on course to claim it before he missed a straightforward red on a break of 53. White fully punished with a counter-attacking 62 up to and including the final pink to open his account first.
Burden levelled the tie with the help of a 39 break in frame two, but White went back ahead when he won the third on the colours, and then two clear heading into the mid-session interval off the back of a vintage 63 clearance despite several balls having been scrappy.
On resumption, the popular 61-year-old moved one away from the title at 4-1 with an effort of 55.
However, with the winning line fast approaching, White seemed to tighten up and momentum shifted as he spurned chances. Burden secured frames six and seven to reduce his arrears to just one and put the contest back in the balance.
White, though, was not to be denied the trophy. After establishing a small advantage earlier on in frame seven, The Whirlwind capitalised on a Burden safety error, subsequently crafting a classy clearance of 84 for victory.
The title caps off a memorable season for White following his best professional campaign for several years.
