The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Hendry on Rocky road to Crucible
Stephen Hendry has vowed to give it his best shot as he begins a Rocky-like bid to qualify for next month’s world championship.
The record seven-time world champion is taking this week’s Super Star Online world seniors championship seriously, as it offers a route into the qualifying stage of a tournament he once dominated.
He and the likes of Dennis Taylor and Cliff Thorburn are competing for the prized place but Hendry is strongly fancied as he bids to recapture the form that brought him 36 ranking titles. Hendry retired in 2012, frustrated by losing to players he would have comfortably beaten in his prime.
But the Scot said: “My game’s not bad. I suppose I’m just a few steps away from the Crucible but I’ll have to take it one at a time and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
“When I’m practising on my own, my game feels great, but there’s a big difference between practising on your own and playing people. So that’s going to be the big thing – can I produce that when it matters? Because it’s years since I’ve played competitively.”
He plays his opening match at Scunthorpe’s Baths Hall theatre today and is aiming for tomorrow night’s final, which offers the winner £10,000.
Hendry likened the challenge to the against-allodds big-screen boxing fairytale of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa becoming heavyweight champion of the world.
“If you win this you’re not even halfway – you’ve got three best-of-19 matches against players who are playing week-in, week-out to qualify for the Crucible,” Hendry said.
“But if one of the guys does it and gets through to the Crucible, what a Rocky story. It’s a great opportunity.”
Taylor has encouraged the 48-year-old to make a full-time return to the tour, saying: “It’s fantastic to have Stephen Hendry back because I’ve been saying or a few years I’d love to see him come out of retirement.
“I still think he can compete on the main tour and this could be a stepping stone for him.”