Michael White admitted that a motivational talk from boyhood idol Mark Williams was the inspiration for a first ranking title in India yesterday.
White, 23, the world No 22, whitewashed Ricky Walden, this season’s International Championship winner, 5-0 in Mumbai to claim the £50,000 first prize at the Indian Open.
That made it two titles in just over a week for White, of Neath, who also won the quickfire Shootout in Blackpool for his first professional success.
White beat Williams, the two-time world champion and long-time Welsh standard-bearer, 4-2 in the morning semi-final to get to the showpiece against Walden, the world No 8.
And afterwards he revealed that his 39-year-old compatriot had told him to knuckle down a month ago to make the most of his talent. White blew Walden away with breaks of 81, 77, 45, 41, 58 and 85.
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“It is an amazing feeling, I have dreamed of this ever since I was a kid, and since I turned professional,” he said. “It is about being the best of the world’s best at a major tournament.
“My nickname is White Lightning – and now you know why after the final. Mark asked me for a selfie straight after the final tonight – that’s the closest he will get to the trophy.
“But he had a word with me about a month ago and here we are, with my first pro title at the Shootout and now my first ranking title. I was always going to listen to him with the respect I have for him, it carries weight – and he thought I was putting work in, but not enough. I know he would only try and help me.
“He talked about what he was doing at my age to get to the top, and he has won everything. So I have been doing just that bit more in the last few weeks, being more disciplined.”
Walden, 32, refused to use his gruelling semi-final earlier in the day - he fought back from 3-0 down to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh of Thailand 4-3 - as an excuse for his capitulation in the evening. He had previously never lost a ranking final.
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“Michael outplayed me in every department, and is a worthy winner of the title,” he said. “But I have a good week, and I feel in good shape for the World Championship next month.”