Whirlwind Suffers Nasir Nadir

Jimmy White’s 2015/16 season started on a low note as he lost 5-4 to amateur Saqib Nasir in the first round of the Australian Goldfields Open qualifiers in Crawley.

Ten-time ranking event winner White, who dropped out of the world’s top 64 at the end of last season, soon found himself 3-0 down against Birmingham-based Nasir, who made a break of 98 in the second frame.

White nicked the fourth on a respotted black then added the fifth with a run of 60. Nasir made it 4-2 before 53-year-old White battled back to 4-4. But Nasir dominated the decider, taking it 67-1 to win a match in a ranking event for the second time in his career.

Iran’s only professional Hossein Ayouri scored a 5-3 win over Charlie Walters, knocking in breaks of 80, 57, 66 and 98.

China’s Zhao Xintong saw off Kuldesh Johal 5-1 with a top run of 74 while former World finalist Nigel Bond edged out Sam Craigie 5-4.