Michael White knocked out Mark Williams in the first round of this year’s World Championship.

MICHAEL White has said he is over the moon after beating the man he looked up to as a youngster.

The 21-year-old’s victory was the highlight of Day 2 of the Betfair World Championship after knocking out two-times world champion Mark Williams in his first ever match at the Crucible Theatre.

White, who beat Zhang Anda and Andrew Higginson to qualify for the tournament, held his nerve when it mattered to record a 10-6 win.

“It is hard to take it all in at the moment,” he said. “It is an unbelievable place to come and I was really pleased with the way I coped with it all out there. To play that well and get a win against Mark is an unbelievable feeling.

“It means everything to me. I always looked up to Mark and it was a privilege to play him and to play as well as I did.”

“It is just something that you can dream of. So for me to actually do it, I cannot put it into words. I will be back on the practice table tomorrow and hopefully if I can put in another performance like that who knows what can happen.

“I will just concentrate on the second round now. I am over the moon to have won that match but now I need to start getting ready for the next match.”

Williams, whose season ends without winning any silverware, heaped the praise on the Neath youngster and said White is one of the best young players in the ranks.

“He potted a lot of long ones and scored very heavily and probably out played me in every department,” he said. “He was winning some frames in one visit and that’s what you have got to do really.

“He is one of the best young lads coming through. People mention Jack Lisowski but I think this kid could be even better. He got a century break as a nine-year-old in a competition whereas I didn’t get one in practice until I was 13.

“He is still only 21 and if he can continue to play like that then he will be dangerous for anybody. I just hope that he goes and plays like that in the next match and does himself justice.”