PAUL DAVISON was once again hit by a Whirlwind in qualifying for the Australian Snooker Goldfields Open.

The Pickering-based potter was attempting to grab a trip down under at World Snooker’s newest ranking event, which will be held in Bendigo from July 18 to 24, but lost 5-2 to Jimmy White in the second round.

The pair locked horns in the third round of the World Open in Glasgow last year, when White edged a nervy clash 3-1 in which Davison had spurned several chances to win.

This time, the 39-year-old once again got starts in several frames but was unable to take full advantage.

Davison had set up this latest match after coming through his first game 5-3 against David Hogan.

White will now go on to play Rory McLeod in today’s third round.

After White took the first frame, Davison levelled in the second – coming through a scrappy game which centred around the colours.

White needed two bites to take the third but Davison may have thought he would go into the mid-session interval level-pegging after a break of 51 gave him a huge advantage in the fourth.

But coming to the table trailing by 39, White conjured a 41 clearance to take the frame and a 3-1 lead.

Davison once again hit the front in the fifth and, this time, secured the frame despite giving White a sniff of a repeat – coming to the table 47 behind with 51 available – but unable to capitalise.

A break of 60, however, the highest in the match, helped the Whirlwind reclaim his two-frame lead in the next before he took victory by winning the seventh frame.

The path to glory gets no easier for Davison after the draw was made for August’s Paul Hunter Classic in Germany. He has been pitted against former UK champion and World finalist Matthew Stevens in his opening third round game, which forms the last 128.