Jimmy White 'wanted to hit snooker rival with cue' for his annoying habit

Few names in history command as much admiration as Jimmy White. Known affectionately as 'The Whirlwind', White has been a fixture in the sport for over four decades. Despite reaching the final on six occasions, victory eluded him each time - with four of those losses coming at the hands of the legendary .

Yet, it wasn't Hendry who truly irritated White, as he revealed to former footballer Ally McCoist during a chat on TNT Sport's Snooker Breakdown: "For me, Hendry had the mettle and determination," the 62-year-old said. "Then Ronnie came along, took a bit from all the great players, and with his natural talent, he became the ultra-winning machine. , for me, plays snooker in the most serious times of matches as if he's just practising.

"Hendry was a bit like that, he was in his own bubble. I'd play Hendry, he'd have none of the crowd, but it didn't bother him. He was so focused."

Turning to long-time rival Steve Davis, he said: "I think with Davis he had that smirk, you wanted to hit him across the head with the cue. But he was so good."

Davis, who reigned as World No. 1 for seven straight years and captured 28 ranking trophies, ranks fifth in the all-time standings. The rivalry between Davis and White was a staple of 1980s snooker, their contrasting personalities and approaches making for compelling matchups.

Reflecting on that era in a previous episode of the Snooker Break podcast, White admitted: "I quite liked it, me and Steve Davis, I was sort of wasting my time partying and he was practicing, so I never had any problems with Steve.

"But you knew, if you were playing Steve Davis, you were going to be in a war. I had a rivalry with him that lasted for five or six years, and I think it was quite healthy for the game."

Even now, White remains active on the professional circuit, recently advancing past the initial round of a tough four-stage qualification as he eyes a Crucible return later this month.

Davis has acknowledged White's enduring quality too, previously commenting: "For Jimmy to be competing and beating some of the top players in the world on a weekly basis is just fantastic. Long may it continue.

"He knows full well he can have a really good match and then the next time it might not quite work, and that's the frustration. You know you can produce it every now and again, but consistency is the problem as you get older. When he manages to put it together it's fantastic to watch."

O'Sullivan, who appeared alongside White on TNT Sport, didn't hold back in expressing his admiration. "Jimmy was the first player I was inspired by, the most exciting player there was," the Rocket said.