THE ROCKET’S ON ANOTHER PLANET
Hendry insists he’d be honoured to share world title record with ‘artist’ Ronnie
STEPHEN HENDRY says it would be an “honour” to have Ronnie O’Sullivan for company on seven Crucible crowns.
But the Scot reckons the Rocket is out on his own when it comes to taking snooker to another stratosphere.
O’Sullivan blew away Hendry’s compatriot Stephen Maguire 13-5 yesterday to reach a record 13th World Championship semi-final.
The world No.1 is well on his way to levelling Hendry’s cherished record of world titles come Monday.
And 53-year-old Hendry said: “It would be an honour for me to share seven with Ronnie because he has taken it to a new level.
“There has been no one like him and probably we won’t see their like ever again. I mean that last frame was just artistry with the cue ball, it really was.
“Nobody does it better. You cannot play snooker better than that in that last frame there.
“As a snooker player, it is just beautiful to watch. You really appreciate what he is doing and how good he is.
“I am struggling to see anyone who can compete with Ronnie, I really am.
“He is supreme in all departments, he looks focused and he is scoring when he gets in. It will take something to beat him I’ll tell you. Phenomenal, just phenomenal.”
O’Sullivan was the first man into this year’s semis as he eyes the £500,000 top prize.
The 46-yearold raced into the final four with a century break – his second of the match – in the final frame before admitting levelling hero Hendry would hold mixed emotions for him.
The Rocket said: “Stephen is the alltime legend for me, the greatest player. He was our Tiger Woods of snooker.
“When he was flying in the 90s, he was a superstar. When there is one man dominating sport like he did, like Tiger Woods did, it’s a different level.”
Maguire was left punch-drunk as O’Sullivan stole the show on the sport’s biggest stage in Sheffield.
The world No.40 was 11-5 down overnight and O’Sullivan quickly landed the knockout blow to send him packing.
Maguire said: “When you get out there and perform the way I did, it’s a lonely place.
“The game was finished in the second session. I wish it ended the night before, to be honest.
“I still don’t like getting beat so it hurts. I had my chance when I came back to 6-4 and I missed. He ran away with it after that.” Judd Trump recovered from a dismal opening session of the day to reel off eight frames in succession and sink Stuart Bingham 13-8 for a semis spot. Bingham had turned a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead but his missed black in the next triggered a spectacular comeback. Trump said: “I could not pot a ball. I just tried to dig in and not get too down. I managed to get out of the session at 8-8, which I was unbelievably happy about, and I felt a lot more confident going into the evening session.”