Bangkok Whitewash as hero crashes out

Bangkok: The 6-red Pro-Am tournament at Bangkok lost its showpiece, as Whirlwind White went crashing out of the tournament, offering very little resistance to his shocked opponent Keith Boon, who most certainly could not believe his luck.

Jimmy White had been struggling throughout the event and it was but a matter of time when the curtains would be drawn on him. Keith Boon of Singapore delivered the final blow and saved him from further misery.

With Jimmy leading 3-1, the Bangkok crowd were extremely vocal. Keith however kept his nerve and took every opportunity thrown his way, which were plentiful. Jimmy started twitching on shots and missed easy ones.

Sensing victory

Keith sensing a famous victory went in for the kill and left him high and dry taking frame after frame to win 6-3.

The tournament will continue and someone else will lift the crown, but the man who was the real crowd-pleaser has unfortunately exited.

Joining Jimmy in the casualty list was fellow professional and Dubai-based Englishman Peter Ebdon who kept twiddling his thumbs waiting for an opening to come by, which was never allowed by his conqueror Jimmy Michie, also of England.

Jimmy Michie kept the pressure on Peter, stifling him at every visit. When left amongst the balls, Jimmy wiped the slate clean every time and Peter had to warm his chair for that much longer.

After a disastrous start to the tournament with two losses, Irishman Ken Doherty has recovered most of the form which had made him World Champion in the Amateur and Professional Circuit and the World U21 championship

Coming back to the 6-red event, Doherty is shaping up well to stake a claim to this title also, when he taught World No 4 Mark Selby a lesson in aggressive snooker. Though the match score read a misleading 6-3, Ken dominated.

Saleh Mohammad (Pakistan) kept his winning record intact, pounding Dene O'Kane of New Zealand by 6-1, pushing Saleh into the next round where he meets Thailand's Noppadon Noppachorn.