Snooker: White hoping to put past defeats behind him

Jimmy White knows exactly how he wants to spend the evening of his 40th birthday on May 2 by playing in the semi-finals of the Embassy World Championship.

The Whirlwind, who has long been renowned for his hectic social life, would rather be sipping water in the hushed surroundings of the Crucible Theatre than out partying at any of his usual haunts.

While the Londoner reaches a landmark age this year, he also passes a milestone in terms of World Championship appearances with today’s match against Dominic Dale launching his 21st bid to capture the title.

On six occasions White has received the runner-up’s cheque, sometimes amid the most heartbreaking circumstances such as when he let a 14-8 lead slip in 1992 and was pipped in the final frame two years later, against Stephen Hendry both times.

White has also suffered the ignominy of failing to qualify last year after he dropped out of the world’s top 16.

But a string of good results early last season ensured the game’s most popular player is back in Sheffield at number 11 on the ranking list and eager for another crack at the elusive crown.

He hopes life really does begin at 40 and that his best days are not all behind him - after all, Goran Ivanisevic, another perennial beaten finalist, enjoyed his date with destiny at Wimbledon last summer.

Victory for White would not be quite as big a turn-up and he refuses to let the dream die.

‘‘Winning the world title has always been my big ambition and nothing will change that,’’ said White, who was due to play the first nine frames against Dale today with the match completed tomorrow night.

‘‘I’ve been to half-a-dozen finals and how many players can say that? There’s no point in thinking about what’s already gone. I’ve a lot to be proud of.’’

While White starts out today, Ken Doherty and Stuart Bingham complete their tussle tonight with Ireland’s 1997 world champion trailing 5-4.

But although Bingham will have been delighted to take a first-session lead over the fourth seed, his joy was tempered by missing a glorious chance to achieve the coveted feat of a maximum 147 break.

The 15 reds and blacks posed no problem to the former world amateur champion from Essex, who defied the tension to sink all the colours up to the blue.

Then for the first time in the frame Bingham ran out of position and left himself needing to play the pink at pace to get on the black and missed, seeing his hopes of £147,000 plus the £20,000 highest-break prize disappear.

Five players are already through to the second round with title-holder Ronnie O’Sullivan progressing on Saturday and three other seeds Mark King, Graeme Dott and Matthew Stevens joining him on day two.

The only qualifier into the last 16 so far is Cambridgeshire’s Joe Perry, who ousted 2000 and 2001 semi-finalist Joe Perry with a 10-6 triumph which put the gloss on a fine season for the world number 27.