Barry Hearn makes Jimmy White promise after controversial win at the Northern Ireland Open

JIMMY WHITE has revealed his spot successful snooker's biggest events is harmless acknowledgment to Barry Hearn.

The 62-year-old controversially bushed Hossein Vafaei 4-2 past nighttime to publication his spot successful the 2nd circular of the Northern Ireland Open.

White inactive holds a circuit paper but erstwhile World Snooker Tour president Barry Hearn has promised to assistance him enactment successful the crippled should helium autumn down the rankings.

He revealed: "I got excavation connected merit the past mates of years.

"Barry Hearn did accidental to me, what I’ve done for the game, arsenic agelong arsenic I support playing successful each of the events past I’ll support getting the wildcard.

"I bask practising, bask doing exhibitions, bask entertaining.

"I inactive marque 147s and present and again I person a small buzz wherever I tin bushed anybody.

"It’s not arsenic accordant arsenic it was, but I deliberation that volition travel with a fewer wins. That was a decent triumph for maine today."

But the triumph against Vafaei proved controversial aft referee Kevin Dabrowski called a foul against him successful the framework that proved to beryllium decisive.

With the Iranian 65-57 up, the authoritative claimed helium had not enactment the achromatic shot correctly wrong the D earlier firing it astatine a red.

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The referee checked a video replay and stood by his determination contempt complaints from Vafaei.

Dabrowski handed White 4 points and the fable went connected to triumph from there.

Earlier successful the thrilling match, Vafaei deed an astonishing fluke shot that bounced up disconnected the table, rolled on the obstruction and yet dropped into the other country pocket.

White is backmost successful enactment time against Martin O'Donnell.