Snooker icon-turned-pundit Stephen Hendry came clean about the World Snooker Championship game that saw him retire, and left him feeling humiliated.
Stephen Hendry opened up about a humiliating Crucible clash
Stephen Hendry has opened up to fellow legend Steve Davis about a Crucible quarter-final matchup that left him ‘humiliated’ and saw him retire soon after. Scotsman Hendry is one of snooker’s most revered potters and held the sport in a tight stranglehold throughout the 1990s, winning an unfathomable seven world titles over a truly dominant decade.
He claimed a total of 36 ranking titles throughout a professional career that began at the age of 16, and spent nine seasons ranked No.1. In 2012, the 56-year-old called it quits, and he has since become a prominent voice on the media side of things. Speaking to another of the sport’s greats, Davis, Hendry was asked about some of his worst losses at the iconic Crucible, which is currently playing host to a history-making final between Mark Williams and Zhao Xintong. Hendry specifically touched upon his 2012 quarter-final against Stephen Maguire, as he came clean about how humiliated he felt after the 13-2 defeat that ultimately prompted his retirement.
The Scottish star made a remarkable start to the 2012 World Snooker Championship, making a brilliant maximum break against Stuart Bingham in the first round, and besting fellow countryman John Higgins 13-4 in the following tie. However, his match against Maguire was one to forget.
“I mean, my game was shot. Even the 147 was not… The striking of the cue ball was terrible,” admitted Hendry, speaking about the 2012 competition on his Cue Tips YouTube channel. “Like you, actually, I had a victory over John Higgins in the next round in the last 16, which I never expected to do.
“But, the match was dreadful. I mean, John was bad. I wasn’t great, and I managed to win. If I got a frame early [against Maguire], it might have been a different story, and who knows what might have happened. I lost the first session 4-0.
“Looking back, it's horrible that's my last game at the Crucible. A 13-2 defeat. I mean, it’s humiliating. I didn't feel that bad in respect that I kind of was waiting for it to happen." Davis queried: “Had you already decided to retire?” To which Hendry responded: “Yeah. That’s why the 147 was so special.”
Hendry opened up to Davis
The Scotsman also elaborated on some of his other losses at the historic venue, saying: “I mean, I felt pretty bad when Steve James beat me [in 1991], obviously with the whole Crucible curse thing. I drove up the road and I didn't say one word for four and a half hours.”
When Davis asked Hendry what his worst defeat in Sheffield was, however, Hendry harked back to the 2002 final - and a heartbreaking deciding frame - and replied: “Losing to [Peter] Ebdon in the final. [I] beat Ronnie in the semis, it was 2002. It was probably the last time I played my best at the Crucible - that semi-final.
“Before that, I thought the winner of the Championship was going to come from the winner of our match. I thought either of us would beat Matthew [Stevens] or Peter in the final. So already I was thinking I had to take it properly. Played Peter in the final, and I didn’t think there was any chance of him beating me over four sessions.
“There’s a difference between being super confident and being… It's a different confidence when you don't think you can lose. Listen, I played ok, but Peter played great. But to lose in that deciding frame, I was gutted.”
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