White 'sickened' by Wembley exit

Jimmy White described his performance in the 6-2 defeat by Mark King as “sickening” after he went out in the first round of the Masters at Wembley.

White, number 56 in the world, was given a wild card following his exploits on reality television show 'I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!' and was supported by a number of his fellow contestants from his time in the jungle.

But he could do little to impress them as he struggled to keep control of the cue ball, looking a shadow of the player who became such a favourite with the London crowd.

The 47-year-old did not attempt to put any gloss on the defeat.

White told BBC Radio Five Live: “It was woeful. It was sickening to play like that.

“It’s not like I didn’t have any chances – I had loads of chances, I had chances every game.

“But it was a great atmosphere, I think Barry Hearn will do great for the game.

“It’s just a bit frustrating to play like that with the way I’m playing in practice.

“It’s sickening.”

White appeared nervy in an electric Wembley atmosphere and handed the first frame to King with numerous errors.

The 47-year-old was on course to level at 1-1 until he overran position on the final black, but King gave him another chance which he took to the relief of the crowd.

But King took the next with a break of 64 before going into the break with a 3-1 lead.

White clawed one back after the interval with a run of 48 but from there on it was all King.

He claimed the next three frames, the highlight a break of 85 in frame seven, with White unable to find any fluency among the balls.

King will next face Stephen Maguire.

Earlier, Peter Ebdon booked himself a quarter-final meeting with either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Neil Robertson as he beat Marco Fu 6-2.

Ebdon came storming back after losing the opening two frames, producing some outstanding form to win six in a row.

Fu made a good start in a tense opening frame, taking advantage of a double kiss on a red by Ebdon to clean up.

A slow start to the second saw Ebdon make another mistake as he blocked himself from the red he needed and Fu took full advantage to move 2-0 up.

He was looking good in the third too but then missed the brown that should have seen him go on to win and Ebdon stormed back with a break of 27 to win it.

Ebdon then scrapped his way back into the game, winning a tough safety exchange to take his first lead, 3-2, after the fifth.

After the break Ebdon looked like a different player, free in his rhythm as he piled up substantial breaks and left Fu sitting in his corner.

Mark Selby breezed through his second-round game with a 6-1 rout of China’s Ding Junhui.

Selby raced out to a 5-0 lead and only missed out on a whitewash as he failed to pot the frame ball in the sixth, giving Ding a consolation frame before Selby finished the job in the seventh.

Selby will now go forward to face John Higgins or Mark Allen in the quarter-finals.