Welsh potter Michael White proved he’s not a one-hit wonder as he landed his second ranking event win at the Paul Hunter Classic last weekend.
Big things were expected of White after he won top prize at the Indian Open back in March 2015, but it’s fair to say they haven’t quite materialised.
In the two-and-a-half years since, Michael struggled with consistency on the table and a number of other issues off the baize including well-publicised bouts of depression.
Since breaking into the world’s top 16, he’s failed to really kick on and establish himself as one of the best players in the game.
Prior to his recent win, he’d gone nine months without a visit to a quarter-final of a ranking event and was precariously close to dropping outside of the top 32. There were moments when he was playing that he looked severely out of sorts, as if he didn’t want to be competing and as if he lacked the battle for the cause.
This weekend, in strict contrast, saw him playing at somewhere near his top form. In his run to the title, he beat world number one Mark Selby and finished it off with a 4-2 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the final. He ended the tournament with a huge smile on his face and what looked like a steely determination to produce this kind of performance on a more regular basis.
There are plenty of people in the game who will be hoping this win will spark his return to the top. At his best, White is a fierce animal on the table, fearless in his approach and blessed with great bottle.
Aged 26, he is now approaching his peak years and will need to work hard to cement his reputation within the game.
Michael will be the first person to tell you that’s he’s not in the game to make money. He’s here to win titles and ultimately become the next in a long line of Welsh greats.
With the right application, he has what it takes to make this a reality.
