Whirlwind blows Ebdon away

Jimmy White heard the famous Wembley roar tonight after one of the greatest victories of his career in the Benson and Hedges Masters.

The Whirlwind received a standing ovation from all 2,000 members of the crowd at Wembley Conference Centre for his gripping 6-5 triumph over shell-shocked Peter Ebdon.

White, without a ranking tournament win to his name this season, looked set for a tame exit from the prestigious event when he trailed the world champion 5-1.

But the ‘People’s Champion’, urged on by a partisan London crowd, fought back to reel off five frames without reply.

White punched the air in delight and held his cue aloft to acclaim his capital fan club. Ebdon was magnanimous in defeat, shaking White’s hand when he probably felt like shaking him by the throat.

“Peter is a great world champion and I have every respect for him,” said the 40-year-old left-hander who has been coming to Wembley since 1982.

“He said it had been a dream of his to play me at Wembley which is a nice compliment.

“I was so angry not to be 2-2 at the interval and I just tried to hang in there. Even though I haven’t had the greatest of seasons I’ve been working really hard in practice.

“So, I’m delighted to have won. It probably wasn’t one of my greatest performances because my top break was only 77.

“However, I have seen Stephen Hendry win so many matches 5-4 playing terribly and then go on to win the title.

“So a win is a win. Besides I have been slapped all over the gaff this season so I was due a result like this.

“But I know my game is good enough to win this tournament on Sunday. However, I will have to get in from the start when I play Stephen or Mark King in my next match.

“At 5-1 I was on my way back home.”

“Jimmy was the miracle man today,” said proud dad Tom, who played his own part in a memorable game.

“He came to me when I was 3-1 down and gave me a wet towel because it was so warm out there,” explained White, whose one and only Wembley title came against Terry Griffiths in 1984.

Father-of-five White had threatened to spill blood to regain the famous gold trophy. But he looked in dire need of a transfusion of confidence when Ebdon methodically captured five of the first six frames.

There seemed no way back for White against a player widely regarded as having ’most bottle’ of any professional on the circuit.

Instead, Ebdon’s burning desire to win his first ever Masters crown got the better of him. He scored only 42 points as White reduced his arrears to 5-4.

In frame 10 he appeared to have steadied his nerves but with a 41-21 lead he ran out of position.

Ebdon tried to double the penultimate red but missed and White cleaned up with 31 to force the decider.

The roar from the crowd was deafening at the start of the 11th frame but it fell silent as again Ebdon took control early on.

He led 27-6 but again could not make the most of his opportunity and White came back with 45.

This time it was White’s turn to feel the pressure and he missed the yellow. Fortunately for him it did not prove terminal and he got a final chance to put the result beyond doubt.

“It wasn’t in my dream that I lost 6-5 from 5-1 up,” said Ebdon, managing a smile at the end of his nightmare collapse.

“I have just got to take it on the chin and keep working hard like I have been doing. All credit to Jimmy it was a fantastic performance.

“He hung in there and fought well. It was a pleasure to play him at Wembley because he’s been such a fabulous ambassador for the game.

“Not too many players would have stuck in there after so much disappointment in world finals. He fully deserves the success he gets.”