Veterans Jimmy White and Marco Fu Shine on Opening Day of 2025 English Open

The 2025 English Open kicked off on Thursday at the Brentwood Centre with snooker veterans Jimmy White and Marco Fu both advancing to the second round.

63-year-old Jimmy White, the oldest player on the main tour, staged an impressive comeback from 2-0 and 3-2 down to defeat Cheung Ka Wai in a deciding frame. “The Whirlwind” produced three half-century breaks during the match. He now faces a highly anticipated clash with Luca Brecel on Saturday.

Marco Fu, also from Hong Kong, enjoyed a straightforward 4-0 victory over Gao Yang. The three-time ranking event winner has been in excellent form this season and continued that trend with two century breaks in a dominant performance.

It was a notable day for Hong Kong snooker overall. Wang Yuchen battled through a decider to overcome Florian Nuessle, while Ng On Yee made history despite a 4-2 loss to Liam Highfield. Ng compiled a break of 137 — the highest ever made by a woman in a World Snooker Tour event.

Other winners on the opening day included Sam Craigie, who marked his return from injury with a 4-0 win over Chatchapong Nasa, and David Grace, who also recorded a 4-0 victory against Jonas Luz.

Pakistan’s Haris Tahir, Iran’s Amir Sarkhosh, and Belgium’s Julien Leclercq also progressed, alongside Chinese players Jiang Jun, Zhao Hanyang, and Huang Jiahao.

Sunny Akani, Duane Jones, Liam Highfield, and Louis Heathcote were among others to win their opening matches, moving closer to claiming the Steve Davis Trophy.

The remainder of the round of 128 will be played on Friday, with women’s world champion Bai Yulu and in-form Chang Bingyu among those entering the competition.