Snooker wonderkid wins generation game as he eliminates legend Jimmy White from UK Championship qualifying

In a match where there was a 49-year age gap between the two contestants, Szubarczyk took the opening frame before 1992 UK Champion White levelled up with a break of 92.

However, the Polish teenager headed into the mid-session interval 3-1 up following runs of 67 and 59, and on resumption he extended his winning streak to four frames (89 break, frame six) as he reached the hill at 5-1 up.

63-year-old White kept his hopes alive with the aid of a 57 in frame seven, but Szubarczyk got the job done in the next with an 86 break.

Szubarczyk now requires three more wins to qualify for the 32-player main draw phase held at the Barbican Centre in York which starts next Saturday. He will face former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown in the second qualifying round.

It has been a busy few weeks for Szubarczyk who won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar last week. The second youngest title winner in the tournament's 62-year history, he added his name to an illustrious roll of honour that includes White, who lifted the trophy in Australia in 1980.

Snooker's youngest-ever professional player, Szubarczyk has made progress on the unforgiving top tier over the past couple of months.

He won two matches at the Saudi Arabia Masters, and qualified for both the Xi'an Grand Prix and International Championships events in China. Now he has his hopes set on a spot for the televised stages of snooker's second-most prestigious ranking tournament which carries a prize fund of over £1.2 million.

Pullen produces record-equalling 147 maximum break

Elsewhere during the opening day of qualifying at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, English youngster Liam Pullen scored his maiden maximum 147 break in professional competition during his 6-1 win over Kaylan Patel.

This latest effort is the 15th 147 of the 2025/26 campaign, equalling the all-time seasonal record-high.

Hong Kong's Marco Fu returned to competitive action after an injury lay-off and defeated compatriot Ng On Yee, 6-3. The 2008 UK Championship runner-up top scored with a 104.

Reigning world women's champion Bai Yulu reached the final round of UK Championship qualifying last year. The 22-year-old from China is on her way again after posting six half-century breaks in a 6-1 victory over Mostafa Dorgham.

Bai wasn't the only female player to advance on Saturday as 12-time world women's champion Reanne Evans defeated Peter Lines, 6-4.

Two-time Crucible qualifier Jamie Clarke - who is competing here as an amateur - strung together five consecutive frames from 4-1 down to eliminate Lan Yuhao, 6-4.

Former world seniors champion Igor Figueirdo is set to re-join the World Snooker Tour next season having won the recent Pan American Championship, but he is part of this event as an invited amateur. The Brazilian showed his class with efforts of 125 and 139 during a 6-1 win over former semi-finalist David Grace.

Mateusz Baranowski needed three snookers in the deciding frame of his match with Sahil Nayyar, but he turned the tables and advanced in dramatic circumstances.

The final result of the day produced the biggest comeback as Ka Wai Cheung recovered from 5-1 down, winning five frames in-a-row to deny Florian Nuessle, 6-5.

Chris Totten, Huang Jiahao, Dylan Emery, Ian Burns, Bulcsu Revesz, Iulian Boiko, Connor Benzey, Ross Muir, Steven Hallworth, Hatem Yassen, Xu Yichen, Liam Graham, Mateusz Baranowski and Liu Wenwei were the other match winners on Saturday.

The final batch of first round qualifying fixtures are set to completed on Sunday morning in Wigan, with the second round to begin in the afternoon.