Jimmy White, down to 56th in the provisional rankings after a poor start to the season, lost 5-4 to Northern Ireland's Mark Allen in the final qualifying round of the Welsh Open in Prestatyn yesterday.

White needs to finish inside the top 64 to retain his professional status, with only the Beijing Open and 888.com World Championship remaining this season.

Allen lamented White's sudden decline. "It's sad to see Jimmy not performing the way he used to," he said.

"He must be a bit embarrassed the way he's playing. It's hard to get motivated when there's only two or three people watching. You have to take your hat off to him that he's even coming here."