White foe fulfilling potential at last

Jimmy White faces a player who was not even born when the Whirlwind turned professional as the battle for the European Open title reaches a climax in Malta tonight.

White won a thrilling semi-final against local hero Tony Drago to reach his first major final in four years with a 6-4 victory.

Now the Londoner must beat surprise finalist Stephen Maguire, who scrapped his way to a 6-4 win against world No 5 Stephen Lee, for the £48,000 (€71,600) top prize.

Maguire, 23 next week, was born in 1981 a few months after White began his professional career.

The Glaswegian, ranked 41st in the world, had not been past the last 16 of a world ranking event before arriving on the Mediterranean island but solid victories over four members of the game’s top 16 – Peter Ebdon, Joe Perry, John Higgins and Lee – have given him the chance to fulfil his considerable potential.

When Maguire was just 17, his then practise partner Stephen Hendry suggested he could be a future world champion.

He did win the 2000 IBSF world amateur championship but his first four seasons on the professional circuit did not yield any success, much to his own annoyance.

Maguire said: “It’s about time I reached a final. I’ve done it a bit late because I really feel I should have made one a couple of years ago but I’m here now and I’m determined to enjoy it.

“I can relax a bit in the final because nobody will be expecting me to win. Whatever happens I’m determined not to be one of those players who reaches a final and then is never heard of again.”

Maguire used to keep sharks in a tank in his bedroom but to win the title he will have to sink his teeth into one of the biggest beasts in snooker.

White may not have won a ranking title since capturing the 1992 UK Championship but he has looked more like his old self this season, reaching the semi-finals of the UK Championship in November and last month’s Wembley Masters.

He lost to Maguire in the televised phase of the 2001 Scottish Open in Aberdeen but after removing old foe Stephen Hendry in the last 16 the 41-year-old people’s champion claims he doesn’t fear anyone.

White said: “Maguire is very tough. He’s a star of the future but I’m concentrating on my own game.

“Once you’ve beaten Stephen Hendry in any tournament you’re not concerned about any other player.”

A White victory would be his 10th in a ranking event and follows the great run of 46-year-old Steve Davis to the final of the Welsh Open in January.

Davis led Ronnie O’Sullivan 8-5 before going down 9-8 but White seems determined to ensure that 2004 is remembered as snooker’s year of the veteran.