A biography for Jimmy Whitehasn’t been written yet.
“If you've got to win ugly, do it.”
“My eyes are fine.”
“Ding has a fantastic all-round game. His temperament is also at a very high level.”
“The trouble started when I won the world amateur title in 1980, aged 18. People began talking about me as the next star of the game. But I also started to get recognised more and I wasn't prepared for it.”
“Over the years I have been in a lot of trouble but I've always managed to switch off and play.”
“We play Snooker Legends exhibitions and there is never a spare ticket.”
“I mean what's the point of them becoming professional snooker players? If there's not much money in the game, if there's no guarantee of future tournaments, if no one knows what's going on.”
“In the past it sometimes took me two or three rounds to get the adrenaline rush.”
“I have no regrets, I've had a fantastic life, travelled the world.”
“I was introduced to the game by my father, Tommy, when I was 11.”
“Ronnie is a very clever winner. He will make sure that he does everything in his power to win the tournament. He is super-fit.”
“The thought of the weekends I used to have now makes me shake.”
“I've had my dark days, but I wasn't really a hell-raiser as such.”
“I've survived through my love for the game.”
“That period in the late Eighties and early Nineties was when I was playing my best snooker. My trouble was that I had so many bad habits that my preparation was terrible: people like Steve Davis or Dennis Taylor were model pros.”
“I like the hypnosis. Nothing too deep - just enough to keep me clearer and more focused.”
“People appreciate anyone who takes chances - they like a bit of flair.”
“I think boxing is a fantastic sport.”
“I got to 16st when it became painful for me to walk.”
“If Ding keeps performing the way he has been doing then it is inevitable the World Championship will go to his country.”