Michael White spoke openly of his battle with depression for the first time on Monday night, revealing he found it impossible to focus during his World Snooker Championship first round defeat to qualifier Sam Baird, writes Joshua Richards for Wales Online
The 24-year-old from Neath trailed 5-4 overnight and was 7-6 in front on Monday, before losing four frames in a row to bow out.
White failed to qualify for this stage last year, but his rise into the top 16 earned him automatic qualification this year.
But he’s heading home early and White admitted he needs some time away from the table.
“I don’t want to make an excuse and I’ve never mentioned it before, but I do suffer with depression,” White said.
“Stress can bring it on and make it feel worse and I couldn’t focus out there at all.
“I don’t really know where to turn at the moment with my game. But I’ve got to get my mental state right first before I can go anywhere.
“I had a bit of a breakdown with my concentration. Sam played well in the last four frames, but I was really struggling out there.
“I look back on the season and it’s disappointing. I had high expectations. I’m not enjoying it at the moment, there are too many negative vibes.