The combination of Mark King and an injured neck ended Jimmy White's hopes of competing at the Crucible this year.
Whirlwind won't hit Sheffield this year after qualifying defeat
The combination of Mark King and an injured neck ended Jimmy White's hopes of competing at the Crucible this year.
The Whirlwind was beaten 10-3 by King in the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
A six-time runner-up and 10 times a semi-finalist, White had hoped to make a 26th appearance in the tournament.
However the 45-year-old injured his neck on the journey to the venue and despite battling on through the pain, was well beaten.
High standard
"I came here playing to a really high standard in practice but on the journey up north I cricked my neck and this is one game you can't play with a cricked neck," said a disgruntled White.
"It's so frustrating because I've worked really hard for this. I've got no idea how I did it, maybe it was the excitement and the tension of being involved here, but it's sickening.
"I'm in agony. I'd rather be bleeding somewhere than have this. I couldn't cue properly and I didn't hit a safety the way I wanted to all day.
"This is a real kick in the teeth. It's like having clamps on my neck and when you get over a shot someone squeezes them. I'm not saying I would've won without it but at least I'd have had a proper chance."
White was always going to find it tough against the world number 21, with or without the injury.
Early lead
Helped by runs of 44 and 61, King built an early lead and then went on to snatch the fourth frame with a brown-to-pink clearance.
A 68 break put him 5-0 up before White managed 46, his best contribution in the opening session, to finally get on the board.
He didn't win another frame until 8-1 down, compiling a vintage 90 clearance as he took the opening two of the afternoon session.
The recovery proved to be brief though, King managing scores of 72 and 58 in the following two frames.
White has at least secured just enough ranking points to retain his place on the main tour next season but will now enter every event in the opening qualifying round and will need to negotiate four matches to reach the Crucible in 2009.
Parrott collapse
Former champion John Parrot will also not be playing at Sheffield after letting slip an 8-4 lead to Joe Perry.
The 43-year-old Liverpudlian appeared on course to appear in the tournament, which he won back in 1991, until he hit the wall.
While two of snooker's elder statesmen failed to qualify 17-year-old Liu Chuang from China clinched a spot in the opening round.
The rookie professional held his nerve in a final-frame decider to defeat Dominic Dale 10-9.
Chuang's success means that for the first time, China will have three Crucible representatives. Liang Wenbo will also make his debut while Ding Junhui has been seeded into the last 32.
Stoke's Jamie Cope managed to qualify by beating Dubliner Fergal O'Brien 10-5.
The draw for the first round proper takes place at 1pm on Tuesday. The championship gets underway on April 19.
