Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: Ken Doherty delighted after dispatching fellow veteran Jimmy White to set up Artemijs Zizins test
Published 09/08/2025 at 13:16 GMT+1
Ken Doherty spoke of his "delight" upon beating fellow veteran Jimmy White 4-1 in the first round of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. The 55-year-old was taking on White three decades after their first meeting at a ranking event back in 1991. Next up for Doherty is a second-round encounter with Latvian teenager Artemijs Zizins, which you can watch on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘He is livid’ – Simple miss on yellow stuns White as Doherty wraps up comfortable win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ken Doherty was "delighted" after beating fellow veteran Jimmy White 4-1 on Friday to reach the second round of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Doherty fired breaks of 96, 59 and 64 to dispatch White, three decades after they first met in a ranking event back in 1991.
"It’s always great," Doherty told TNT Sports. "We’ve played each other for 31 years so it’s always a great spectacle, and yesterday I played alright. It was nice to come out on top, but it’s one of those matches.
"I absolutely still get the adrenaline. And that is what keeps you going.
"I’m sure it’s the same for Jimmy. Even after all these years, no matter where you’ve played and all the competitions that you’ve played in, you still get that adrenaline buzz.
"You want to keep coming back and playing. It never leaves you."
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Doherty nails double to seal first frame in battle of legends against White
Video credit: TNT Sports
Next up for Doherty is a fixture with Latvian teenager Artemijs Zizins.
"I’m going from a 63-year-old to a 19-year-old," Doherty laughed. "From one end of the scale to the other.
"But [Zizins] is a very good player and it will be a tough match. I’m delighted to get through. Last night was a big match for both Jimmy and I and to get through and still be in the draw, I’m delighted."
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Elsewhere, 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans dispatched Kreishh Gurbaxani 4-2 in the first round. Should she win her next encounter with Liam Davies, she would become the first ever woman to win two games at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
On Evans, Doherty said: "She did really well in the first match yesterday, and she’s playing again today.
"And she’s having a really good season. She’s won her first three matches this season already, so she should keep it going."
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