Jimmy White takes on Billy Joe Castle in European Masters qualification on Thursday in an intriguing match. The two players are at very different stages in their careers. White is a six-time World Championship runner-up and probably the best player never to win the top prize, while Castle is a former English Amateur Championship finalist and has only recently joined the professional ranks. Castle, 25, is attempting to qualify for his first tournament after falling in qualifying in the Riga Masters, China Championship and Indian Open but he faces a big test against ‘The Whirlwind’.
White also failed to qualify for the events in China and India, going down to Ryan Day and Ricky Walden respectively in qualification, but he did make a bit of a mark in Riga. The 55-year-old, who now competes with an invitational tour card, reached the third round in Latvia before going down to Scotland’s Anthony McGill and should fancy his chances of getting past Castle. White is the 1/4 favourite and Castle can be backed at 13/5 as the two players battle for a place in the sixth ranking tournament of the season.
White may be at the tail end of his career but he is still a talented break builder and could bulldoze Castle today, with the younger player still waiting to record a first win as a professional. A 4-0 win for White is 4/1 and a 4-1 success for the veteran is 13/5.
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