White Turns Back the Clock to Edge Stevens in Five-Set Thriller at International Championship Qualifiers
White Advances to Nanjing Venue Stage After Dramatic Deciding Frame
Jimmy White, at 64 years of age the oldest active player on the World Snooker Tour, secured a hard-fought 6-5 victory over compatriot Matthew Stevens in the 2026 International Championship qualifiers on Thursday. The result, settled only in the 11th and final frame, sends White through to the venue stages in Nanjing and adds a third ranking-event win to his campaign tally for the season.
The match carried considerable historical weight. Both White and Stevens are former Masters champions, UK Championship winners, and World Championship runners-up — two veterans whose careers have intersected repeatedly across three decades of professional snooker. On this occasion it was the Londoner who edged the contest, though not without considerable difficulty in the closing stages.
From Comfortable Lead to Deciding Frame
White appeared to be in full control after establishing a 5-2 advantage, aided in no small part by a century break of 104 in the second frame. At that stage, a routine victory looked the likely outcome. Stevens, however, had other ideas. The Welshman reeled off breaks of 121 and 72 in consecutive frames to draw level at 5-5 and force a deciding frame — a scenario that has rarely been straightforward territory for the player known as the Whirlwind throughout his career.
In the 11th frame, Stevens got to the table first but left the chance incomplete, breaking down on just nine points. White capitalised on two separate scoring opportunities to close out the match and book his place in the first round proper. There he will face either Mark Selby or Luo Zetao.
The victory represents White's third century of the campaign alongside his three wins, figures that suggest the veteran remains capable of competitive performances at ranking level when his game clicks. His continued presence on tour at 64 is itself a statistical outlier — no other player on the current World Snooker Tour circuit comes close to his age.
Robertson and Hawkins Among Comfortable Winners
Elsewhere in the day's qualifying action, world number three Neil Robertson produced the sort of assured display that has defined much of his 2026 campaign. The Australian compiled two century breaks en route to a commanding 6-0 whitewash of Alexander Ursenbacher, dropping no frames in a performance that underlined his position near the summit of the two-year ranking list.
Barry Hawkins matched Robertson's scoreline with a 6-0 defeat of Oliver Sykes, while Stuart Bingham was also largely untroubled, conceding only a single frame in his win over Alfie Burden. The results represent a productive day for several of the tour's established names as they look to build momentum heading into the venue stage.
Wilson Scrapes Through; Jones Continues Impressive Season
It was considerably less straightforward for Kyren Wilson, who has endured a difficult stretch in ranking events of late. The 2015 UK Championship winner found himself in danger of another early exit before rallying to beat Leone Crowley 6-5 — a result that will have provided some relief, if not yet the kind of convincing form Wilson will be seeking.
Jak Jones, by contrast, continues to be one of the season's standout performers. The Welshman, who has already claimed two ranking event titles in 2025-26, defeated Liam Pullen 6-3 to extend a run of form that has firmly established him among the top echelon of the current tour. Among the other qualifiers on the day were Stephen Maguire, Ryan Day, Ricky Walden, Zhang Anda, and Lei Peifan.
Grace Shines; Awad Makes History
David Grace produced arguably the day's most technically impressive display, defeating Tom Ford 6-5 with the assistance of three century breaks — a hat-trick of tons that demonstrated the Yorkshire potter's ability to perform at a high level when the occasions demands it.
One of the more notable results from a broader perspective came courtesy of Mina Awad, the All-Africa champion from Egypt, who defeated Zak Surety 6-1. Significantly, it was only the second professional match of Awad's career — a result that will attract attention given the growing interest in developing snooker's reach across the African continent.
Not every established name progressed, however. Jordan Brown, who famously won the 2021 Welsh Open as a then-world number 81, suffered a 6-5 defeat to Gao Yang, with the Northern Irishman pipped on the final black in another of the day's tightly contested finishes.
Data sourced from CueTracker and snooker.org. The 2026 International Championship venue stage takes place in Nanjing.
