Un très grand merci à Julien et à Georges, son papa et son plus grand fan. Je vous suis très reconnaissante d’avoir pris le temps de répondre à ces questions alors que vous êtes engagés dans le championnat du monde, pas moins.
Vous êtes un team fabuleux!
Merci et bonne chance pour la suite!
Pouvez-vous vous présenter brièvement ? (age, nationalité, parcours, passions) 18 ans, belge. Je suivais des études en sport-étude foot, études que je viens d’arrêter pour me consacrer au snooker. Ma principale passion est le snooker bien sûr, mais aussi certains jeux de consoles, rencontrer des amis…
A quel age avez-vous commencé à jouer ? Qui a été votre premier partenaire, mentor, coach ? J’ai commencé à 4 ans et demi, en voyant mon père jouer, j’ai voulu essayer…Mon 1er coach a été Johnny Petermans
Le snooker est-il devenu une passion ? Si oui, quand et comment ? Oui, c’est une vraie passion pour moi. Quand j’ai participé à mon premier tournoi national, je ne voulais plus rien faire d’autre….
Avez-vous des ambitions professionnelles dans le snooker ? Si oui, quels sont vos buts à court et moyen termes ? Bien sûr, je m’entraine beaucoup pour tenter d’obtenir ma place sur le main tour. A court terme, c’est accrocher ce ticket, et à long terme, essayer de gagner un tournoi ranking chez les pros. Ensuite l’avenir nous le dira…
Quel est votre style de jeu ? Je suis plutôt attaquant, mais j’essaie de trouver un bon équilibre dans mon jeu, c’est nécessaire
Avez-vous un coach ? Si oui, sur quels aspects du sport travaillez vous plus particulièrement ? Oui, Danny Moermans, ancien coach de Luca Brecel. Il me donne un programme relativement complet, entre routines, safeties, breakbuilding, long pots …
Avez-vous un, une ou des partenaires d’entrainement réguliers ? Si oui, qui ? Depuis la crise Covid-19, c’est moins évident, mais je m’entraine régulièrement avec Luca (qui est également mon équipier en interclubs), mais aussi Kobe Vanoppen, triple champion de Belgique en U21. Ce dernier ne vit pas très loin de chez moi, et nous sommes également devenus de vrais amis
Vous avez participé à la Q-School. Qu’avez-vous retiré de cette expérience (aspects positifs et négatifs) ? Positifs : ma victoire contre un des tout meilleurs juniors au monde, Wu Yi Ze, mais aussi les défaites 3-2 dans les autres matchs. Pour une première expérience ce n’était pas si mal… Côté négatif, le format raccourci et le planning très serré de l’édition…
Vous venez de jouer votre premier match au championnat du monde. Pouvez-vous décrire cette expérience (aspects positifs et négatifs) ? Expérience incroyable. Je suis rentré difficilement dans le match, le frame gagné avant la pause m’a fait du bien.Mené 4-1 et puis 5-2, je me suis retrouvé le dos au mur, mais je voulais toujours y croire. La clearance dans le 9e frame et puis le century dans le frame suivant m’ont libérés. J’ai ensuite pu profiter des erreurs de Soheil dans le decider.Tout est donc positif aujourd’hui, je peux savourer cette journée.
La crise sanitaire actuelle a très probablement eu un impact important sur votre préparation et votre voyage. Quelles difficultés avez-vous rencontrées ? Avez-vous vous reçu de l’aide de votre fédération, de la WPBSA ou de WST ? Ayant une table à la maison, j’ai pu me préparer correctement. J’ai reçu un bon soutien de la part de Jason Ferguson et Neil Tomkins. Le voyage aller n’a pas été si facile, car comme les règles en vigueur changent rapidement, nous avons malheureusement dû rentrer à la maison après avoir été refusés sur l’Eurostar pour une preuve manquante (non nécessaire au moment de la réservation) de réservation de test 2&8…Sur ce, mon père a tout réorganisé dans la précipitation (commande des tests, réserver le shuttle Calais-Folkestone, nouveau PLF…) et nous sommes finalement arrivés à l’hôtel à 4h14 heure locale.
Parmi les joueurs professionnels présents ou passés, qui admirez-vous particulièrement et pourquoi ? Ronnie O’Sullivan parce qu’il a tout gagné et, parce qu’à mes yeux, il est le GOAT, Judd Trump pour ce qu’il est en train de réaliser, et Neil Robertson, pour la qualité de son jeu
Parmi les jeunes francophones dans votre pays/région qui voyez-vous comme un « espoir » du sport ? Qui voyez-vous comme un futur professionnel ? Malheureusement, à l’heure actuelle je suis le seul espoir…Depuis 2012-13, je joue dans le Limbourg, car papa voulais me laisser jouer avec les meilleurs jeunes du moment…Et du coup, je me vois moi comme futur professionnel
Pensez-vous que le snooker est suffisamment promu en Belgique, et dans votre région ? Quelles améliorations souhaiteriez vous mettre en place si c’était en votre pouvoir ? Alors pas du tout, mais pour répondre honnêtement à cette question, vous pourriez demander à mon père…
Pensez-vous que le snooker est bien représenté et présenté sur les chaines de radio et télévision disponibles en Belgique francophone ? Pour suivre le snooker en Wallonie, nous n’avons qu’Eurosport malheureusement. Je dis malheureusement car les commentaires français, et je n’incrimine personne, ne sont pas toujours à la hauteur des attentes des spectateurs passionnés.
Et finalement … qui, à votre avis, sera le Champion du Monde 2021 ? Neil Robertson
Souhaitez vous ajouter un message personnel à l’intention des lecteurs et des fans du sport ? Ma participation aux qualifications du championnat du monde est ma toute première expérience professionnelle. J’espère avoir pu montrer de belles choses, et que les gens pourront se dire : ah c’est Julien Leclercq …
Here is the translation:
Would you, please, briefly introduce yourself? (age, nationality, background, passions)
18 years old, Belgian. I was following a sports-football curriculum, but I just left school now to devote myself to snooker. My main passion is snooker of course, but also like playing some console games, meeting friends …
How old were you when you started playing? Who was your first partner, mentor, coach?
I started when I was 4 and a half, seeing my father play, I wanted to try … My first coach was Johnny Petermans
Has snooker become a passion? If so, when and how? Yes, it’s a real passion for me. Since I played in my first national tournament, I didn’t want to do anything else….
Do you have professional snooker ambitions? If so, what are your short and medium term goals? Of course, I practice a lot to try to become a professional on the main tour. In the short term, my goal is to earn a tour card, and in the long term, it’s to win a ranking tournament. We’ll see what happens in the future …
What is your style of play? I’m more of a attacking player, but I try to find a good balance in my game, it’s necessary
Do you have a coach? If so, what aspects of the sport do you work on in particular? Yes, Danny Moermans, former coach of Luca Brecel. It gives me a relatively complete program, between routines, safeties, breakbuilding, long pots …
Do you have a regular training partner or partners? If so, who? Since the Covid-19 crisis, it is more difficult, but I train regularly with Luca (who is also my interclub teammate), but also Kobe Vanoppen, triple champion of Belgium in U21. The latter does not live very far away from where I live, and we have also become close friends.
You attended the Q-School. What did you learn from this experience (positive and negative aspects)? Positive: my victory against one of the very best juniors in the world, Wu Yi Ze, but also the 3-2 defeats in the other games. For a first experience it was not that bad … On the negative side, the shortened format and the very tight schedule of that instalment …
You have just played your first match at the World Championship. Can you describe this experience (positive and negative aspects)? Amazing experience. I struggled into the match, the frame I won before the break helped me. Led 4-1 and then 5-2, I found myself with my back against the wall, but I still wanted to believe in my chances. The clearance in the 9th frame and then the century in the next frame allowed me to relax and to play with more freedom. Then I was able to take advantage of Soheil’s mistakes in the deciding frame, so everything is positive today, I can savour this day.
The current health crisis has most likely had a big impact on your preparation and your trip. What difficulties have you encountered? Did you receive help from your federation, WPBSA, or WST? Having a table at home, I was able to prepare myself properly. I received good support from Jason Ferguson and Neil Tomkins. The outward journey was not that easy, as as the rules change quickly, we unfortunately had to go home after being turned down on the Eurostar for missing some proof (not required at the time of booking) of booking test 2 & 8… After that, my father hastily rearranged everything (ordering tests, booking the Calais-Folkestone shuttle, new PLF…) and we finally arrived at the hotel at 4:14 am local time.
Among the professional players present or past, who do you particularly admire and why? Ronnie O’Sullivan because he won everything and because to me he is the GOAT, Judd Trump for what he is doing, and Neil Robertson for the quality of his game
Among the young French speakers in your country / region who do you see as a “prospect” in sport? Who do you see as a future professional? Unfortunately, at the moment I am the only prospect… Since 2012-13, I play in Limburg, because dad wanted me to play with the best young players at the time… And suddenly, here I am with realistic hopes to become a professional in the future
Do you think that snooker is sufficiently promoted in Belgium, and in your region? What improvements would you like to put in place if it were in your power? So not at all, but to answer that question honestly, you could ask my dad …
Do you think that the snooker is well represented and presented on the radio and television channels available in French-speaking Belgium? To follow snooker in Wallonia, we only have Eurosport unfortunately. I say unfortunately because the French commentary, and I do not blame anyone, does not always meet the expectations of the spectators
Do you want to add a personal message for readers and fans of the sport? My participation in the qualifications for the world championship is my very first professional experience. I hope I have been able to show some beautiful things, to give peple somthing to remember me: ah, this is Julien Leclercq …
The full conversation is available in Phil’s and Nick Metcalfe’s Talking Snooker podcast episode 14
Ronnie O’Sullivan only moans because he loves snooker, reckons Barry Hearn
Phil Haigh – Tuesday 30 Mar 2021
Ronnie O’Sullivan is never shy of making his feelings known (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan has had some harsh words for Milton Keynes, the home of snooker during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Barry Hearn insists that his comments only prove how much he still loves to play snooker.
The Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes has been the venue for the vast majority of events on the World Snooker Tour this season, played behind closed doors with players staying in the adjoining hotel.
It has been an ideal venue for operating under the restrictions of the pandemic and, while it has proved monotonous for players and a far cry from the jet-setting lifestyle they are used to, there have been few complaints over conditions, access or the hotel facilities.
The Rocket is not a fan, though, and made his feelings clear at last week’s Tour Championship which was played at Celtic Manor in Newport.
When asked if it was nice to be in Wales, O’Sullivan told ITV: ‘Yeah, well it’s a lot better than Milton Keynes.
‘Category A prison that Milton Keynes. I’ve seen enough of those over the years.
‘I’ve spent far too long there and that’s a sad gaff. I didn’t enjoy that towards the end so it’s nice to come to a nice resort where the food’s good and you can actually see some greenery and some trees.
‘It’s just a nice place. Milton Keynes is not the best place but it’s served it’s purpose and done what it done but it can send you a bit crazy after a while.’
Despite not loving the situation in MK, O’Sullivan has barely missed an event all season, competing in the majority of tournaments since he lifted his sixth World Championship title in August.
World Snooker Tour chairman Hearn feels this is illustration of the passion the Rocket still has for the game and, far from being annoyed by his criticism of MK, can fully understand it.
‘I think he’s been magnificent, the number of tournaments he’s played,’ Hearn told the Talking Snooker podcast. ‘I know he moans about Milton Keynes but you can’t blame him for that.
‘You’ve seen Ronnie’s normal lifestyle, it doesn’t revolve around Milton Keynes!
‘He’s paying the price for a sport he loves, that’s the message I get. The more he moans about Milton Keynes, the more I know he loves snooker. He wouldn’t put up with it for a second unless he was there for a reason.
‘The boy loves the game. He likes to have a moan up. Good luck to him. I’m a fan.’
O’Sullivan lost in the final of the Tour Championship to Neil Robertson on Sunday night, his fifth ranking event final loss this season as he still searches for his first title since the Crucible.
Hearn believes this is more evidence of how much Ronnie loves playing the game as he keeps striving for more success despite the set-backs.
Hearn and O’Sullivan have had an up-and-down relationship over the years (Picture: Getty Images)
The chairman has also praised how magnanimous O’Sullivan is in defeat in big finals, although was happy to remind him that it has been happening on a regular basis.
‘He’s had a lot of practice this year!’ Hearn said of the Rocket’s admirable losing speeches.
‘That’s the thing people don’t understand about the animal that is Ronnie O’Sullivan. He likes money, of course he does, he likes to win, but there’s something bigger, he likes to play snooker.
‘He’s lost a load of finals but I don’t think he’s driven home going, “balls, I’ve lost another one” I think he’s thinking “I’ve got to get a bit better,” he’s still thinking like that and that’s a magnificent compliment to the player that O’Sullivan is.
‘He’s not satisfied to lose but he’s magnanimous in defeat and I find that reassuring that his ultimate goal is to win.
‘At the same time, I said to him a few years ago that he’ll be in the top 16 for as long as he wants because he’s got that much ability. Even if he had 30% less ability it’s still going to be enough. He’s got ability that you can’t teach.
‘He’s going to be there as long as he wants to be there and, although he criticises things, he wants to be there or he wouldn’t turn up at all in the first place.’
O’Sullivan will return to the Crucible next month to defend his world title (Picture: PA)
Hearn and O’Sullivan have had plenty of run-ins over the years and Ronnie may attempt to wind up his old sparring partner in the future but Barry insists it won’t work.
The veteran promoter does not get upset by the Rocket’s musings, and just looks at the positives of the publicity they bring.
‘Alex Higgins used to upset me, I don’t get upset at all anymore with anybody, in any mode of my life. What can they do to me? Nothing,’ said Barry.
‘They’re entitled to their opinions, number one. I’d like it to be done in a nice and proper way, sometimes Ronnie stretches that a bit, but he’s Ronnie O’Sullivan, he’s earned the right to have his own opinion.
‘Most of it is crap! But at the end of the day it doesn”t make any difference because it’s his crap and I’m a fan of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
‘I would put up with a lot of things from Ronnie because I want to watch him play, he adds so much to the value of every tournament and he makes me excited to watch snooker played at the level of the Gods.
‘Does he upset me? Not in the slightest.
‘If he breaks the rules to a ridiculous extent he will be disciplined like everybody else, but he doesn’t. He’s quite smart, he goes borderline, doesn’t really push it that much.
‘He’ll have a little pop at me and I think to myself, “that’s another headline, that’s another bit of publicity for snooker.”‘
As for how much longer Hearn expects the current world champion to be around in snooker, he will allow him to stay for as long as he wants.
Even if the six-time world champ declines to the point he drops off tour, Hearn will be rustling up a tour card for him, just as he has done for the Rocket’s old mate Jimmy White.
‘He’s got an invitational tour card for the rest of his natural life, no question,’ said Barry.
‘Anyone who criticises that doesn’t understand what you owe people and what they’ve contributed to your enjoyment over the years. So not a problem at all.’
Well, Barry Hearn loves it of course. The more snooker is in the news, the better, unless it’s about match fixing or cheating of course.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2021: RONNIE O’SULLIVAN WANTS CRUCIBLE VACCINE PASSPORTS AFTER MUM’S COVID BATTLE
World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he feared for his mum Maria’s life when she battled Covid-19. O’Sullivan believes the disease is “not the flu” and points to the damage it can do to the lungs. With 300 fans set to be allowed access to each session of the World Championship next month as part of a UK government pilot scheme, O’Sullivan wants vaccine passports for all ticket holders.
Ronnie O’Sullivan hopes all snooker fans attending the World Championship in Sheffield will be vaccinated after watching his mum Maria’s “scary” battle against Covid-19.
The six-time world champion has revealed that the well-documented effects of the life-threatening virus left him fearing the worst.
“My mum had it really bad. There was a time when I thought she might not make it through,” said O’Sullivan, who has lifted the sport’s biggest title in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2020.
MY MUM HAS COME OUT OF THE OTHER END OF IT. BUT IT WAS PRETTY SCARY JUST TO SEE IT. YOU THINK: ‘WOW, UNBELIEVABLE, WHAT COVID CAN DO’.
O’Sullivan will defend his title at the Crucible Theatre – LIVE on Eurosport between Saturday 17 April and Monday 3 May – with around 300 fans set to be allowed access to the venue for each session as part of a UK government pilot scheme.
Spectators were allowed inside the venue for the opening day and final weekend of last year’s pandemic-delayed event in August which O’Sullivan triumphed 18-8 against Kyren Wilson to equal Steve Davis and Ray Reardon’s modern day haul of six world titles.
While welcoming the return of a crowd, the world number two feels it is imperative members of the public should be vaccinated as part of a “wise” and “sensible” policy to protect fellow fans and players inside the intimate 980-capacity venue.
“It’ll be nice to have some crowds in. Hopefully they’re all vaccinated-up. Maybe have a vaccine passport,” said O’Sullivan, as reported by the Sun. “I’d imagine that would be part of the new criteria if you’re to go into any indoors event. “There will be a few people who have been double jabbed-up and looking forward to getting some tickets.
WE’VE HAD A YEAR NOW TO UNDERSTAND THE ILLNESS AND EVERYBODY KNOWS – NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
“No matter what your age. I’d imagine it would be much more sensible and wise if people are allowed in that they were less likely to be passing on a deadly disease. “You’d like to think that would probably be a standard sort of baseline of making that decision. We know a lot more about it now. We all know people that have had it.
“I’m a lot more respectful of what Covid can do to you, no matter your age. We know it’s not the flu,” added the record 37-times ranking event winner, who has struggled with the demands of constant Covid testing to compete on the World Snooker Tour behind closed doors in Milton Keynes over the past year.
IF IT GETS ON THE LUNGS THEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE. I’M SURE EVERYONE INVOLVED IN SNOOKER AND SPORT, THEY WOULDN’T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY AT RISK, IF THEY VALUE SOMEONE’S LIFE.
…
I can only agree. A friend, in her early 50th had it in March 2020 and is still not well. One of my daughter’s close friends, 38, had it too, without any severe symptoms during the acute phase of the illness, but is now left with damage to her heart in the aftermath of the disease.
In a perfect world, people would act responsibly but we do not live in a perfect world. Therefore, sometimes, things have to be emforced, and, I believe that in this occurence, they should be.
Reanne Evans on ‘harsh’ reaction to tour card announcement: ‘Why can’t people see the bigger picture?’
Phil Haigh – Tuesday 9 Mar 2021
Reanne Evans has a two-year WST tour card from next season (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
Reanne Evans is understandably thrilled by the announcement that the top two players on the World Women’s Snooker Tour have been offered tour cards for the professional circuit, but has been taken aback by some of the criticism from fellow players.
Evans and Ng On-Yee will take up two-year cards from the start of next season and be able to compete in all the ranking events on the WST circuit as a result.
This is set to be the situation from here on in, with the Women’s World Snooker Tour acting as a qualifying tour for the main circuit.
The 12-time world champion feels it is the biggest step forward for the women’s game that she has known and is delighted that a long-term goal for her and the sport has been achieved.
‘I’ve always wanted this to happen just to show some support and encourage women to be involved in snooker,’ Evans told Metro.co.uk.
‘Players now have an end goal that they can be a professional. We either wanted that or they needed to make the women’s a professional tour. That was my argument, either one of those to continue going forward and to improve. I didn’t have any idea it was coming now though, it was rather a shock.
‘We’ve been involved in this situation in snooker for so long, obviously being a woman in sport is getting better and better but when you’ve been involved so long you just want to inspire people to do better, yourself as well, but you just want to keep it going and get bigger and bigger.
‘It’s the biggest news I’ve known in the 40 years the Women’s Snooker Tour has been going with Mandy Fisher running it. I can see her with a big smile on her face now, thinking “we’ve achieved it.”’
It is unquestionably superb news for the development of the women’s game and a move towards all players competing on an even footing.
However, there will always be dissenting voices to any change and some believe it is unfair for two women to be offered places and not come through the same qualifying events that men can play in.
Evans is not surprised that some hold this opinion, but feels that it is little different to current qualifying criteria that is based on geography or age.
Current tour card holders include the Oceania Championship winner, the Pan-American Championship winner, the African Games champion and the European Under-21 champion.
‘At the end of the day you’re not given a wildcard, it’s now been set in stone that it’s a qualifying tour,’ Reanne explained. ‘So like the European, the junior, the under-18, under-21, world amateur, all of them, they’re all qualifying criteria, same as the Challenge Tour top two. It’s not a wildcard it’s a qualifying tour like the others and that’s up to them and it’s their opinion, we just go out and play snooker.
Ng On-Yee is a three-time women’s world champ (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I think it’s great. You’ve got juniors, overseas, all different countries, ages, that’s how you grow a global tour. Obviously to have women involved it’s only going to be better for snooker in general.’
The 2019 Oceania champion, Steve Mifsud, holds a tour card but doesn’t compete in any events, which Evans sees as a clear example of why the women’s tour is just as deserving of tour cards as any other criteria.
‘This is my point, why can’t people see the bigger picture?’ Reanne asked. ‘They’ve given an opportunity to the Oceania winner, and he hasn’t taken it up, it’s a wasted space.
‘At least give it to someone who’s going to try their best and compete in every event possible try and use it as a learning curve as well and to grow snooker. People are going to agree and disagree, we just need to get into it and do our job.’
Ng On-Yee and Reanne Evans have been battling it out on the women’s circuit for years (Picture: Getty Images)
Evans can understand the disappointment of those who may miss out on tour cards next season, but she feels that any complaints from players are misguided and some have shocked her.
‘People are thinking, “why can’t it be me?” I suppose, and I’ve been in that situation, feeling that for years, “if they can get it, why can’t we?” So I understand some of the points of view, but you have to keep pushing and working hard to get your goal. Hopefully everyone can be nice, get what we’re doing and come together and just build snooker up,’ she said.
‘Everyone’s got an opinion, not everyone’s going to agree, I accept that, but there’s ways you can go about it and to be honest some of the tweets that I’ve seen I’ve thought were a bit harsh, from the players involved in snooker.
‘If you’re involved in snooker you should be wanting your sport to do better. Some people I actually know and it took me aback a little bit with the way they come across.
‘I’m not saying their view is wrong, but it’s the way they come across. In general it’s been fantastic for us and the reception from 99% of the people has been fantastic. Just let us do our job and try to win some matches.’
Evans has played in a number of events on the main tour in the past, very nearly beating Shaun Murphy at the 2019 Champion of Champions, losing 4-3 to the Magician.
She feels that performance brought evidence of what her and On-Yee can bring to the table and is looking forward to proving people wrong.
‘I was told when I was in the Champion of Champions, although my standard wasn’t amazing, I pushed Shaun all the way and it was a massive story even before I started, people were interested,’ she said. ‘They got more viewers and people intrigued by it and it got good views. It’s only going to do good in the end.
‘On-Yee is a three-times world champion, I’m a 12-times world champion, it’s not that we don’t know how to win. We’ve got that in us.
‘Just because it’s not shown to everyone all the time, they only get to see glimpses of what we can do. I’m just hoping we can settle into that situation in arenas, on match tables and show what we can do.
‘I don’t want to say prove a point, because we shouldn’t have to, but of course we want to do that. Especially if it’s against someone who has not given you the best review, if you know what I mean.’
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson has described the move as one of the best in his memory and feels it is needed to close the gap between the number of male and female players at all levels of snooker.
‘The women’s decision is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, in my view, I think we’ve got this bang right,’ Ferguson told Metro.co.uk.
Jason Ferguson is delighted with the promotion of the women’s game (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The message from me is clear, I think women have been at a distinct disadvantage in this sport for many years. Not because they’ve not been allowed to play, but the environment has predominantly been a men’s environment and many of the clubs have not been places they would want to go to.
‘That disadvantage has been taken into consideration in this decision, there are less women playing snooker than men, by a mile, and that needs to change.
‘This is how to change it. Inspire the next generation. There’s overwhelming support for it worldwide and it’s only going to take this sport further forward.’
Evans did get a tour card for one year back in the 2010/11 season, but feels she is a much better player now thanks to that experience and the numerous titles she has racked up since then.
She will be working hard with coach Chris Henry and feels that both her and Ng On-Yee can make an impact this time around.
‘I did get a chance 10 or 11 years ago for one year,’ Reanne explained. ‘I played some decent stuff! I took Neil [Robertson] to a decider and he had to do a really good clearance to beat me. I played a lot of top players, Ali Carter, Thepchaiya [Un-Nooh], a lot of really good players and it was a good learning curve and my game improved a lot.
‘Even though I didn’t win a match I came close and played really well in some of them, it’s just all experience and with a two-year card now there’s not as much pressure to perform straight away. You can take it all in and just try and play your game. If you do things right, prepare right and everything then the wins will start coming.
‘The goal is to win matches. Working with Chris Henry is going to help me in that environment, with the mental side of things, I think that will work. I’m just looking forward to it and seeing what I’m capable of doing and what On-yee’s doing as well. I think it’s good there’s two of us and there’s not as much pressure with all eyes on you, it’s shared out a little bit.’
Evans will be in action next month at the World Championship qualifiers.
I have put Jason Ferguson’s explanation for the decision in bold. He’s 100% right. Bex Kenna who is currently ranked 4th on the WWS tour used to play in her local league but had to give up on it because she was prevented to play at some of the venues simply because women weren’t allowed to play in those clubs. Yes, in 2020, that still exist and isn’t even a rarety. Girls and women are not made to feel welcome in many clubs… unless they are behind the bar. Sport is a number game. Very few are talented enough, and dedicated enough, to make it to the top. That’s true in any sport, including snooker. If women are to make an impact in snooker, it has to start at grassroots, it has to start with getting girls playing, and enjoying playing. Only if enough of them play will we see more top female players emerge from the amateur ranks. It will take time. If it works, a women’s tour may no more be necessary… but it’s a very long way to go. Meanwhile positive incentives like this move by WPBSA are welcome and necessary.
Reanne rightly points out that the Oceania Champion didn’t play at all. Actually he did play one match, at the 2019 China Championship qualifiers. I can’t remember anyone critising WPBSA for giving him a tour card that got wasted, and it’s even worse than that because that same player got on the tour in 2014/16 (two years card), also for being Oceania Champion, and back then also played just one match, at the Paul Hunter classic.
Amine Amiri was given a tour card for winning gold at the African games in 2019. This was a very short format event, featuring no player anywhere near professional standard. Amine has not won a match in his two years on tour, he’s only won 8 frames in total.
I don’t want to be harsh on Amine. He’s was thrown into the lions pit with a toy wooden sword. He was absolutely not ready, and yet, played with a smile on his face in every single match. He has been interwiewed by WST recently:
Amiri – I Still Love Snooker
Africa’s top player Amine Amiri insists that his devotion to snooker is undiminished and he is determined to improve, despite a tough introduction to the pro tour over the past two seasons.
Morocco’s 26-year-old Amiri turned pro in 2019 after winning the gold medal in the African Games, in his home city of Casablanca. But – as many amateurs do – he found the progression to the sport’s top level more of a giant leap than a small step. He has won just one match on the tour so far and currently lies 116th in the world rankings.
Having lived in the UK for over a year, in December he decided to return to Morocco, though he still hopes to be able to travel to Sheffield next month to compete in the Betfred World Championship qualifiers.
“It has been harder than I expected,” said Amiri. “I would probably need to play on the tour for five or ten years to get to the right level. Over my first few tournaments I came to understand how good the standard is on the tour, even among the lower ranked players.
“I have learned many things. Snooker is difficult. The only way to get better is to practise very hard. You need faith and confidence, on the mental side and your technique.
“There have been times when I have been in trouble, mentally. It has been hard to stay confident. At times I did not want to stay in the UK. During the lockdown period, I couldn’t practise. Just to play in the club where I was based would have cost around £1,000 per month, and I needed that money to live and buy food.”
Amiri and Matine met five years ago in Casablanca – the beginning of a beautiful friendship
Last month, there was happiness away from the table for Amiri as he married his partner of five years, Yousra Matine. The couple met at a snooker club, and they are now practice partners as well as husband and wife. Matine is Africa’s top female player, having won the gold medal in the women’s event in 2019.
“The wedding was a great celebration,” Amiri smiles. “If I come back to the UK I would want to bring my wife with me, for support.”
Looking to the future, Amiri is optimistic and hopes the best years of his career lie ahead. “It was a dream for me to play on the pro tour, I and I have tried to enjoy it as much as I can”, he said. “There have been some good performances which made me happy. I still love snooker, as much as ever. I will keep playing and keep practising, I will do my best.”
Just by competing on the tour, Amiri has enthused new fans from his region. WST’s Facebook page has gained 13,000 followers from Morocco since he turned pro. Africa is seen as a key potential growth area for snooker and it is hoped that talented players from the continent will be inspired.
“That makes me proud. I am really glad to be part of that,” said Amiri. “Hopefully there can be more fans and more players from Africa.”
All credits to Amine for being so honest and candid. He’s been a credit to snooker, to his country and to himself despite the struggles.
One thing I do hope is that WPBSA/WST think long and hard before putting a player through what Amine had to face. Surely they must have known that he was nowhere near the required level. Amine has shown tremendous heart and mental resilience. What he was exposed to could have destroyed him emotionally and mentally.
“Talking Snooker” – that’s the journalists tandem Phil Haigh and Nick Metcalfe – have provided some great podcasts over the last year. The last one however is the first where they had a professinal player as a special guest, and this guest was Anthony Hamilton.
I never understood why some people dislike Anthony. He’s intelligent and considerate, he has a dry sense of humour and no big ego, and those who have followed the sport for quite some years will remember how danm good he was at the table.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is the greatest of all time and a lunatic, says the Sheriff of Pottingham (Picture: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan is unquestionably the greatest snooker player of all time and a gentleman on the table, but also a lunatic who is ‘mad as cheese’ says his former practice partner Anthony Hamilton.
Hamilton and O’Sullivan go back a long way, to the days they used to practice together in Ilford 20 years ago and produce mythically high standards of play.
The Rocket turned professional in 1992, a year after the Sheriff of Pottingham so they have spent an awful long time on the same circuit together and one is well placed to judge the other.
There is no doubt in Hamilton’s mind that O’Sullivan is the finest player in the history of snooker, although he feels Stephen Hendry is not a million miles behind in the number two slot.
‘Of course, yeah. It’s such an obvious answer that I think the question is already a moot point. It’s Ronnie,’ Hamilton said on the Talking Snooker podcast.
‘I think it’s closer than a lot of people think. I don’t like the way everyone is forgetting about Hendry a bit. They forget how good Hendry was.
‘It’s not what Ronnie does, it’s the way he does it. It’s not like sport, it’s like art.
‘If you went to the players who have played Ronnie on TV and ask them how they feel when they are playing him. They feel like they haven’t played for three months, that they can’t play the game against him almost.
‘The intimidation that Ronnie’s got…he intimidates great players, not just average players like me, because he’s so good.
‘A snooker player knows the exact, small, finite things that he’s doing on the table. We know how hard it is, which makes it even more intimidating.
‘Ronnie is just a phenomenon in sport, for me. Mad as cheese as well!’
Hamilton sees it is a miracle O’Sullivan has conquered a sport such as snooker, despite his immense talent, given the way his mind works.
‘He’s absolutely mad as cheese, you know that don’t you?’ Anthony said. ‘He’s absolutely mental, Ronnie. He’s not putting it on, he’s a lunatic.
‘For him to adhere to the snooker world and be semi-normal is a miracle, to be honest. Anything can happen with Ronnie.’
The Rocket vs Sheriff practice sessions
‘I didn’t think it was true, but he reckons he would swerve me from time to time before big tournaments because he wanted more table time,’ said Anthony.
‘I didn’t know this, because he wasn’t phoning me up to tell me that, but he has said that.
‘He also exaggerates as well, because he says I always beat him and that’s not the case, trust me.
‘We’d have some real good sessions. He’d win 60 per cent of them, but I think 40 per cent is healthy for me to be winning.
‘The standard was crazily good. One day I’d beat him 10-2, make six centuries, but literally the next day he’d beat me 10-1 and make nine centuries. It was that sort of snooker.
‘They were good days.’
Hamilton was laughing as he labelled the Rocket a lunatic and clearly has nothing but respect for the current world champion, which was forged in their epic practice sessions togethter.
O’Sullivan has even claimed that he would look to avoid Hamilton in practice ahead of big tournaments as he wanted more table time and needed to face a lesser opponent than the Sheriff.
Anthony says that facing Ronnie in practice made playing him in tournaments marginally easier, but it made little difference in reality.
‘It made it a bit less intimidating actually,’ he said. ‘He can’t play any better than he does in matches anyway, how much better can he be? He just does it for longer in practice.
Anthony Hamilton has spent many hours practicing with Ronnie O’Sullivan (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We would have quite a few games at Ilford, it was really good. He’s a gentleman, Ronnie, when he’s playing snooker. He’s got his ways off the table, but when he’s playing snooker he’s a gentleman to practice against.
‘He never loses count, he’s always trying, always on time, always try his best.
‘He loves snooker, loves the sport, loves the ethics of the sport and it was a pleasure to spend time with him on the table.
‘Some of my best memories of snooker are practicing against Ronnie. He’s a true snooker player, he’ll say that he’s not, but he is and always has been since he was a kid and he’s a gent when he’s playing.
‘He’s a voracious competitor but a gentleman at the same time. He says a few things here and there just to wind people up, but I think, as a snooker player, we’ve got nothing but respect for him.’
Personally, I thought that the most interesting part is the one where Anthony expresses his feelings on how Barry Hearn and some fellow professionals, notably Judd Trump, reacted to his World Championship withdrawal last year.
I really hope that he qualifies this year again, and that, this time, the measures in place are such that he feels safe to play. He was hard done last year. I’m sure that he was devastated to miss out. He knew this might have been his last chance to play at the Crucible.
You can follow Talking Snooker on twitter. Every true snooker fan should really. Those two provide loads on interesting views and content, in a fair and measured way.
Stephen Hendry’s coach explains remarkable rebuilding process: ‘The work he’s doing his exceptional’
Phil Haigh Tuesday 2 Mar 2021
Stephen Hendry makes his long-awaited return on Tuesday (Picture: WST)
Stephen Hendry is producing ‘exceptional’ work on the practice table and is showing plenty of signs of his old self ahead of his return to professional snooker, says his coach and major player in his comeback, Stephen Feeney.
Hendry plays his first professional match since 2012 on Tuesday night when he takes on Matt Selt in the first round of the Gibraltar Open, finally capitalising on the two-year wildcard he was handed at the start of the season.
The 52-year-old has been out of the game for a long time and practiced very little for much of that spell, so there is great intrigue over where his skills stand in 2021.
The seven-time world champion has been working with Feeney and his SightRight methods for over a year now and has been given the confidence to compete once again, with the ultimate goal of a sensational return to the Crucible.
Feeney’s method is based around sighting the ball correctly, which is surprisingly something that many players do not do with some inadvertently aiming to miss pots as they are incorrectly aligned.
He has worked successfully with the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Dave Gilbert and believes he is managing to ‘put the pieces back together’ of the old Stephen Hendry.
The Scot famously suffered with the yips at the end of his previous spell on tour, but Feeney believes this was down to technical issues that crept into his game that he is capable of fixing.
‘I think it’s fair to say Stephen would score his game 1/10 when he came to me,’ Feeney told Metro.co.uk.
‘We’ve worked on everything around his alignment, his cue action, a lot of things in dealing with perfect sighting alignment, educating the eyes to do the right thing and aim in the right way then certain things build automatically behind that.
‘If you imagine picking up a gun and you’re off-line, if you fire to hit the target, however you’re holding that gun you’re technique is going to move that gun because instinctively you know you’re missing. So when someone’s off-line and badly off-line, you get a lot of movement.
‘Stephen has always known that he had a view of his yips. I put it down to certain technical things that started to happen. I believe he went off-line, technical things crept in and we had a seven-time world champion missing.
‘Some people said it was because he was losing and all sorts of things, but you don’t just become a bad player overnight. If you’re a great player you’ve got to do something wrong and persistently wrong for things to happen.
‘It could even be something as simple as someone putting on weight and losing their natural sighting line, You can suddenly get someone who is used to potting balls at leisure to someone who starts to miss and feel vulnerable.
‘If you’re missing because of technical errors, then that becomes a mental issue but it’s secondary. You lose confidence because you’re missing, so I go to the root problem.’
Hendry’s last game as a pro was a World Championship quarter-final defeat to Stephen Maguire nine years ago (Picture: Getty Images)
Feeney is supremely confident that Hendry’s problems of nearly a decade ago have been cured and the confidence issues that saw him leave the sport have been solved.
Not to say that Hendry will come out firing from ball one on Tuesday night, looking like he could win an eighth world title, but his game has been put back together to reach a point at which he can compete.
‘If there’s anything going wrong technically, a typical character like Stephen will ultimately back off from the game, which is what he did because he couldn’t see how to put things right. But now he’s back he’s beginning to see a different story,’ said Feeney.
‘Back in 2012 lots of things were going on, he made his decision to retire and we’re now in a situation where if he brings 1/10 to me I can put it back together with him as long as he’s got the heart and the drive.
‘His eyes are okay, there’s nothing physically stopping him playing a great game of snooker. The confidence level will start to improve and his composure with match practice will start to improve because he’ll start to trust himself more.
‘I won’t give a score where he is at the minute, but his own comments are that his cue action is better than it was 10 years ago. People kind of pigeonhole me through SightRight to only perfect sighting alignment, but I coach across the whole game.
‘Stephen is learning the ability to strike the ball in a better way and we’re having a fun time and putting in hard work.’
Feeney has worked with a number of top players, not just in snooker but also in golf and darts, and has come across all sorts of different types of students.
However people take to his methods, Feeney always aims to prove what he is doing by allowing his students to do things they have never done before, something that Hendry is finding himself, even at 52-years-old.
‘Stephen just listened and got on with it,’ Feeney said of Hendry’s learning style. ‘Mark [Williams] was the same. You might have another player who asks loads of questions, wants to know the ins-and-outs and detail.
‘With Ronnie…Stephen and Ronnie are two completely different characters to work with in sessions. My job in each and every session is to show them that perhaps they can do things that they weren’t able to do before.
Feeney and O’Sullivan have worked closely in recent years (Picture: SightRight.co.uk)
‘If you’re always raising the bar in their skillset and ability, that creates a different belief in them. “Wow I never used to be able to do that. I’m the seven-time world champion and I never used to be able to do that!”
‘If I said to you, there could be a lot of people that look at Stephen and think, “that’s the same old Stephen.” He’s learned to trust himself with the SightRight methods, to trust himself with the cue action that we’ve built, that we’ve put back together again. I’ve done this with dart players, learning to trust becomes very, very important.’
We saw the first flashes of the new/old Hendry at the World Seniors Championship last August when he reached the semi-final before losing to Jimmy White.
His old rival is as intrigued as anyone to see how he gets on in his comeback and has even been down to help him practice, along with another former World Championship final foe, Ken Doherty.
‘He didn’t play well against Jimmy but I believe that’s a long way away now,’ said Feeney. ‘He’s enjoying playing practice partners, Jimmy’s been down to play him, Ken’s been down to play him. He wants to play.
Hendry and White have been in the practice room together (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I’m not going to say that he’s going to get a bloody nose in Gibraltar at all, but it’s mostly about Stephen getting back in there, finding some composure and enjoying competing.
‘When he played Jimmy White there was just a little lack of composure there, but some of the stuff he’s doing in practice and the work we’ve done on his cue action is exceptional.
‘We know where we’re at, we know what could happen. The most important thing is he goes out there and enjoys it, enjoys the pressure. Pressure is a perspective, but he’s got to enjoy being there and then that readies us for the World Championship qualifiers.’
If Hendry is to return to the Crucible this year he will have to come through every round of qualifying as he sits at the bottom end of the rankings ahead of his return.
Turning up in Milton Keynes this week for the Gibraltar Open is all about getting the match sharpness back in preparation for that task.
‘He needs the race, needs the competitive game to sharpen him up under pressure,’ said Feeney. ‘It’s a completely different world out there, you can play people in practice but it’s never the same until you get under the lights, it really isn’t.
‘Gibraltar is a case of go out, enjoy it, come what may. If he goes deep into this tournament, maybe very deep…come what may.
‘It’s not that we’ve got no expectation, I’ve got every expectation but I also understand we’re playing best of seven, someone could rattle off a few big breaks. Stephen could do that to Matt, Matt could do that to Stephen in a best of seven.’
Steve Feeney helped Mark Williams to his incredible 2018 World Championship win (Picture: Getty Images)
Feeney also coaches Selt, with Stephen and Matt being close friends, which makes the comeback match all the more interesting.
Playing a good pal might just relax Hendry a bit on his return, although both men will know they will never hear the end of it if they lose.
‘I just said to Matt, “it’s a huge privilege, I bet you feel honoured” and he does,’ said the coach. ‘It’s historic, in a way. The first person to play Stephen Hendry coming back on tour.
‘At the end of the day one of them is going to lose and it’ll be street cred, it’ll be all the things that come with it, the banter that will go on and the stories that will be told, but I think Matt feels quite privileged to be the first person to play him.
‘I said to Matt, “all I want to see is you both playing to your best, because you’ll both come off the table happy.” If you don’t leave anything out there then you can’t have anything to moan about.’
No one knows what is going to happen when Hendry gets out there, back into the intense pressure of the professional game, but Feeney is adamant that his legacy is not on the line.
The Scot cannot destroy the immense achievements he has made in the game, in fact he cannot even damage them in the slightest, whatever happens from here on in.
Not that Feeney is expecting that to be a problem, with the coach envisaging plenty of success for the seven-time world champ.
‘Some people are worried about losing his legacy but there’s no reason that his legacy would be anything but completely intact,’ he said. ‘The courage for him to do what he’s doing is exceptional.
‘Stephen wants to really enjoy the game and with the competitive instinct in him, if he’s enjoying the game and learning to win again then we have a man who is back.’
GIBRALTAR OPEN: ‘STEPHEN HENDRY WANTS TO PROVE HE’S THE GREATEST’ – MATTHEW SELT ON KING’S RETURN>/h2>
Stephen Hendry returns to competitive action after a nine-year absence against close friend Matthew Selt. The pair meet in the first round of the Gibraltar Open LIVE on Eurosport at 7pm on Tuesday as seven-times world champion Hendry attempts to recapture former glories. For Selt, the friends reunited clash represents the biggest match of his career.
Desmond Kane
“He’s only got one friend in the world, and that’s me,” jokes a mirthful Matthew Selt ahead of meeting his old mucker Stephen Hendry in snooker’s most eagerly anticipated comeback story of this or any other year.
Selt’s sportive mood will give way to a rather more serious outlook on Tuesday night when he confronts the seven-times world champion over the best of seven frames at the Gibraltar Open. Hendry is brimming with anticipation more than expectation. Yet when you boast such a glorious back catalogue, there is always room to dream. Daring to dream is no bad thing when you once regally lorded it over the old green baize’s land of hope and glory and then some.
Despite sport being forced behind closed doors due to the pandemic, the man dubbed the ‘King of the Crucible’ for his heavy-scoring domination of snooker in the 1990s returns with more fanfare in Milton Keynes than Elvis Presley at Burbank in 1968.
While the King of Rock and Roll spent seven years away from public performance, the king of pot and roll will bring an end to a nine-year absence that will greeted by snooker diehards with more expectancy than John Virgo doing his Hurricane Higgins impression back in the day.
“If I start to play well then the expectation will build and I’ll want to win more,” commented Hendry.
ONE OF THE REASONS I RETIRED WAS BECAUSE I COULDN’T WIN ANY MORE. I HAVE TO CONTROL THOSE EXPECTATIONS. I’M HITTING THE BALL BETTER IN PRACTICE THAN I WAS WHEN I RETIRED.
This will be Hendry’s first competitive match on the main World Snooker Tour since he was annihilated 13-2 by fellow Scot Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals of the 2012 World Championship, a fairly gruesome epilogue to such a gilded 27-year career
He admitted it was a “relief” to retire as his once pristine game descended into a state of torpor with mechanical and psychological failure rendering him a yesterday’s man before it was time to let go.
Being forced to qualify for the Crucible in the death throes of his career was the final ignominy.
“It felt degrading. That’s no disrespect to other players, but I had owned the Crucible for a decade with seven wins and two finals,” he said.
‘SNOOKER WORLD WILL TUNE IN’
At the age of 52, he sports a telling beard these days, but is hardly an elder statesmen in a sport that has just witnessed the evergreen John Higgins produce the grandest form of his life in rampaging to the Players Championship with an astonishing 10-3 final filleting of the world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. Both men seem to just be getting warmed up in their 40s.
“The whole snooker world will tune in,” said Higgins of Hendry. “Who knows what will happen? It will be interesting.
STEPHEN IS OBVIOUSLY EXCITED. IT’S THE WORST POSSIBLE MATCH FOR MATT SELT BECAUSE THEY ARE MATES AND I IMAGINE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF BANTER AND TEXT MESSAGES BEFOREHAND.
Selt – the world number 25 from Romford – speaks every day to Hendry having become friends with the Scot during the 2009 Shanghai Masters. Being part of the king’s comeback special represents the biggest showpiece occasion of his career.
“When the draw came out, I thought: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’,” he told Eurosport. “It’s the first time in a long time I’ve been really excited about playing a game.
“During this lockdown, we’ve been very lucky to still be able to play, but every tournament feels like the same.
IN MY CAREER, WHICH HAS BEEN PRETTY LONG AND NOT PRETTY LUCRATIVE, IT’S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST MATCH I’VE PLAYED.
“To be able to have that opportunity to be part of something so special. I feel very lucky to be playing this match.”
Selt last locked cues with Hendry in the last 16 of the 2011 Australian Open in Victoria when he enjoyed a 5-1 win in the last 16, but could have been the last man to face him before he headed off to his potting shed the first time around.
“I played him in Bendigo a decade ago, but I should have been the last player to play him before he retired,” he said. “I lost to Yu Delu at the 2012 World Championship before Stephen beat him to qualify for Sheffield.
“If I had beaten Yu Delu it would have been me and Stephen in the last round of qualifiers for the worlds.
BACK THEN AND BEING FRIENDS WITH HIM, I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE PLAYER WHO PLAYED HIM IN HIS LAST MATCH BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE. BUT TO BE THE PERSON WHO PLAYS HIM IN HIS FIRST MATCH BACK IS JUST AS SPECIAL.
“It’s all very weird that the draw has come out like this. It was 127-1 that we played each other.
“It’s a very strange coincidence, but one we will both be grateful for.
“It’s good for him to come back and play someone he knows so well. Hopefully he can settle and get into some sort of rhythm.
I’D RATHER WE HAVE A GOOD GAME AND HE WON RATHER THAN HE PLAYED TERRIBLE AND I WIN. THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN.
‘SNOOKER WILL BENEFIT’
Hendry has been working with Stephen Feeney, the much-lauded coach whose SightRight method helped Mark Williams enjoy a third world title in 2018 and Ronnie O’Sullivan career to a sixth victory last year.
Selt credits the work he has done with Feeney as key to his solitary ranking event success at the 2019 Indian Open in Kochi where he defeated John Higgins 4-2 in the semi-finals before a 5-3 win over Lyu Haotian in the final.
Selt feels Hendry would not be returning without hope having drifted into the abyss mourning the loss of the consistency that delivered seven world victories in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999.
As he chewed on a piece of gum after his gutting farewell loss to Maguire, a weight seemed to have been visibly lifted from the shoulders that revelled in 36 ranking titles, earned over eight million quid in prize money, became the sport’s youngest world champion at 21 and amassed 775 century breaks since 1985, a time when he was dubbed ‘The Wonder Bairn’.
This is a bloke who spent a record eight years as number one between 1990 and 1998 before returning to the summit in 2007 despite steady decline set against the suffocating benchmark of his own success story. The mind plays tricks on the greatest of champions.
“I’m a winner and I still hate to see other players winning,” Hendry said.
I STILL BELIEVE THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BELONGS TO ME.
During the era of Thatcherism in the UK, single-mindedness was viewed as a virtue, but seemed especially ripe for the solitary nature of snooker, a game the UK loved more than bangers and mash with their Sunday roast.
Hendry’s six Masters and five UK titles were all claimed between 1989 and 1996 before the trophies dried up as quickly as the tsunami of table time had gripped the sport, ripping away Steve Davis’ decade of supremacy in the 1980s. Hendry dissolved quicker than Davis because he could no longer accept the end of his dynasty.
Time spent away from the sport has allowed him to focus on business interests in China and regular commissions as a TV pundit, but the Edinburgh-born icon is keen to scratch the itch of unfinished business.
He has played exhibitions and some World Seniors fare, but this will see him plunged right back into the rat race as O’Sullivan puts it as he starts out ranked at 128, back at square one. Rather grimly, the sport’s number one Judd Trump thinks he will struggle to win a game.
“He retired for a reason and that reason must have changed because he feels like he can come back and play,” opined Selt.
OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH STEPHEN FEENEY HAS HELPED. WITHOUT WORKING WITH STEVE, I WOULDN’T HAVE WON THE INDIAN OPEN.
“I have a lot of respect and credit for Steve. I still work with him now. I’m pretty sure Steve would have helped Stephen get back to some sort of level that allows him to participate and compete on the tour.
“It will be interesting to see what work he has done with Feeney to see how he plays.”
‘THE RIGHT CALL’
Selt recalls raising the subject with Hendry a decade ago to detect if he was on the verge of quitting having last lifted a ranking trophy at the 2005 Malta Cup.
“I did ask him during that season if he was going to retire and he denied it before retiring,” said Selt. “You could tell he wasn’t as sharp as he had been throughout his career.
“The questions were there if he was still enjoying it. Obviously that year when he did retire, he clearly wasn’t. You could tell he wasn’t enjoying it with some of the balls he was missing.
I THINK HE MADE THE RIGHT CALL BACK THEN. LET’S HOPE HE’S MADE THE RIGHT CALL COMING BACK OUT OF RETIREMENT BECAUSE IF HE CAN COMPETE AND PLAY TO A CERTAIN STANDARD, EVERYONE IN THE SNOOKER WORLD WILL BENEFIT FROM HIS RETURN TO THE TOUR.
“I don’t remember Stephen at his peak performance so I can’t comment on what he was like.
“But for someone who dominated the game for so long, he wasn’t putting in the performances he was used to.
“I suppose when you get to that kind of level, it is hard continuing knowing you aren’t reaching the standard you once did.
THAT’S WHY I’VE GOT ULTIMATE RESPECT FOR HIM COMING OUT TO TRY AGAIN.
Hendry has not revealed what has inspired his decision after joining Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White, the man he defeated in four world finals, and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty in accepting a two-year wildcard from WST chairman Barry Hearn to compete on the main circuit mainly for services to snooker.
Like Paul Newman as Fast Eddy Felson in The Color of Money, the public loves the return of an old hustler plotting a route back to the summit in any sport.
Sugar Ray Leonard completed one of sport’s most memorable comebacks when he outpointed Marvin Hagler in their world middleweight title fight in 1987 having fought just one since retiring in 1982, but Leonard also pointed out that: “you just don’t heal that easy unless you’re young”.
Selt has his own views about Hendry’s motivation having said that he is again keen to return to the Crucible.
“He hasn’t given me a reason. I think he just misses competing at the highest level and misses playing in front of the crowd,” said Selt.
“I think that’s why he has delayed his return. Although we are very lucky to be playing at Milton Keynes, there isn’t much of a buzz playing there without any fans.
“I think he wants to get some matches under his belt before the World Championship, an event he has won more than anybody else.
SO FOR HIM, HE’LL ALWAYS BE TRYING TO CHASE THE STUFF HE’S DONE BEFORE IN THAT TOURNAMENT.
‘CHANGED THE FACE OF THE GAME’
Hendry was a potting pioneer in altering the mood of the cautious 1980s to a more cavalier 1990s through to a modern era that witnesses buccaneering characters whose idea of a shot to nothing is always a shot for something.
Hendry’s idea of a safety shot was opting not to open the pack of reds at the first opportunity. His fearless approach has become the study guide to playing the modern way.
Selt feels that is illustrated by world number 81 Jordan Brown’s rise to prominence at the Welsh Open that included victories over Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire and O’Sullivan in the final.
“Stephen changed the face of the game to be super attacking and now it’s super attacking across the board,” explained Selt. “It has changed. Everyone plays the game the way he played the game. These early rounds, people don’t care.
“It’s all-out attack. If they pot balls, they win, if they don’t, they lose. It’s the people that pot them most consistently who win.
“It’s plain to see the standard of people outside the top 32 is a lot, lot higher than it has ever been.
“It’s questionable if it is higher at the top four or top eight. When would you have got a bloke like the world number 81 Jordan Brown beating everybody to win the Welsh Open?
“It would never have happened years ago.”
‘Get in there!’ – The moment Brown shocked O’Sullivan to win Welsh Open title
‘PROVE HE IS THE GREATEST’
Despite being close friends with Hendry, Selt’s snooker idol is another Scot in the form of Higgins, who managed to complete a 6-0 win over Mark Selby in the quarter-finals of his victorious Players Championship campaign with his opponent potting only three balls for seven points.
“That match against Selby was frightening. I’ve never hidden the fact that John Higgins is my snooker hero,” he said.
“To see him still play like that, gives me great pleasure to watch. He’s a phenomenal player.
“People go on about age, but does it really matter? They’re proving it’s just a number and are getting on with it.
“You are either really, really good or you are good. They are the greats and they will always be the greats until they put their cues down.
I THINK STEPHEN MUST MISS BEING THE GREATEST. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE IS COMING BACK BECAUSE HE WANTS TO PROVE HE IS THE GREATEST.
“I hope he can prove that, but it remains to be seen.”
Selt has faced O’Sullivan, Hendry, Higgins, Steve Davis and Judd Trump at various stages of their respective careers, but feels the GOAT debate remains a live issue.
“People have different theories on who is the greatest,” he said. “Hendry has won the most world titles and Ronnie is the only player who can really eclipse that.
“I’m not a fence-sitter, but the older I become I do more fence sitting.
I THINK RONNIE IS THE GREATEST PLAYER TO PLAY THE GAME. I THINK HENDRY IS THE GREATEST WINNER.
“Higgins is my favourite so it’s a bit of a boring answer really from me. I just think the way Higgins conducts himself is different class.
“If they were all in a room together, he’s [Higgins] the only one you wouldn’t know what he won because he is just that down to earth.
I’VE ALWAYS HAD RESPECT FOR HIM. RONNIE SCARES THE LIVING S**T OUT OF ME. WHEN I PLAY HIM, I JUST CAN’T BREATHE.
Selt recalls being a nervous wreck when he first met Hendry in the last 32 of the World Grand Prix in Glasgow in 2009.
“It was an absolute honour. He beat me 5-2. I couldn’t walk around the table without my legs shaking.
“I still remember it vividly. Just being able to play these great players is a great honour and why I started playing snooker in the first place.”
‘STAND UP TO THE PRESSURE’
Selt has earned over £680,000 in prize money from a career that has spanned 19 years. He has twice qualified for the World Championship and is the only man in history to make five centuries in six frames in his 6-0 walloping of Amine Amiri in the first round of the UK Championship in December.
“I’ve got a little bit of grievance about that. They say I’m the third person to make five centuries in a best-of-11 match,” he commented. “I am the only player in history to make five centuries in six frames. It has never happened before.
“In my next match, Lu Ning missed a yellow off the spot for five in a row.
“I’m very proud of some of the stuff I’ve achieved. I think I’ve had three centuries on the spin five times in my career.
“For someone who hasn’t done much in the game, which I haven’t at this point, I’ve got some good stuff going on in places.
“I am playing pretty well and I’m looking forward to seeing how I compete in what is going to be the biggest match I’ve ever played in.
“I’m looking forward to see how I personally stand up to the pressure.”
The bloke in the other chair might be feeling it more. No other snooker great has been away for so long before reigniting their inner flame. It is uncharted territory for Hendry, but the return of the king after nine years in exile creates its own elixir. Will it be a potion to bring back the heady afterglow of his youthful yesteryear?
Far from the madding crowd, and far from his potting pomp, Stephen Hendry again commands everybody’s attention.
I sincerly hope for Stephen that he can compete and compete well tonight and that all those expectations piled on him will not weight too much.
GIBRALTAR OPEN 2021: ‘I BASICALLY GAVE UP’ – STEPHEN HENDRY HOPING TO MAKE UP FOR ‘EMBARRASSMENT’
Stephen Hendry confirmed he would appear at the Gibraltar Open – staged in Milton Keynes – which runs from March 1 to March 7 live on Eurosport. A legend of snooker, having recorded 775 century breaks in his decorated career, Hendry says he wants to prove the doubters wrong and make up for his last loss back in 2012.
Seven-time world title winner Stephen Hendry says he wants to make up for an “embarrassing” loss nine years ago when he makes his comeback at the Gibraltar Open aged 52 next week.
“I lost 13-2 to Steve Maguire [in the quarter-finals] and I basically gave up about a third of the way through the match,” he told The Times.
I KNEW IT WAS OVER. I KNEW I COULDN’T COMPETE.
“I would like my last match at the Crucible, if possible, to be a match I can look back on and think, ‘I played well, I did everything I could even if I lost. “I want a game when I can be happy with what I gave rather than that 13-2 embarrassment. “One of my goals in this comeback is not about winning but just to get back to the Crucible.
I AM GOING TO HAVE TO WIN FOUR MATCHES [IN QUALIFYING] JUST TO GET THERE, ALMOST A MINI-TOURNAMENT, SO IT’S GOING TO BE SO, SO DIFFICULT. BUT THERE’S NO POINT IN SETTING YOURSELF EASY GOALS.
Judd Trump says it would be a “surprise” to him if Hendry “won any games at all” on his return.
Hendry insists he is not fussed by the talk and compares his comeback to that made by golfer Tiger Woods.
“I heard some of the same stuff when Tiger Woods was coming back, that he wouldn’t be able to compete because the young players were hitting it longer than him now,” he said.
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION. I JUST SAW JUDD, WE’VE HAD A LAUGH ABOUT IT. IT WOULD MAKE IT NICE TO WIN MY FIRST MATCH AND SAY, ‘THERE YOU GO.’
Hendry believes that the overall standard of the tour has not significantly improved since his prime years.
He added: “The top players are great, great players but there is still a lot of snooker out there where I think: ‘There’s nothing there that I wasn’t doing’.”
“My return feels like a double-edged sword. I am a scalp, I’ve still got the name someone wants to beat but, then, who wants to lose to me in my first match since 2012? There’s pressure both ways.“
So, that’s a bit different from what we have seen elsewhere.
I was at the Crucible, taking pictures that year, and in the media room. It was all strange. Stephen dry had needed to qualify for the World Championship that year. He had beaten Gerard Greene by 10-8. He then completely dominate Stuart Bingham in the first round , beating him 10-4 and making a maximum, and John Higgings who was defending champions, beating him by 13-4. He had been unusually animated after his maximum. Then against Stephen Maguire, he struggled. The third frame was close, but Stephen made a mistake at a crucial moment and then it was as if he had been knocked out, it went all spiralling down. It was as if every belief had left him. After the match, he came to the media room, sat down, and calmly said “I have played my last professional match”. It took (almost) everyone by surprise. There was a stunned silence in the room. Stephen then explained that he had taken his decisions months earlier. That he didn’t like the new structure of the tour, didn’t want to struggle in qualifier and wasn’t prepared to carry on if he could not win anymore.
Good luck to him on his return. It’s quite the challenge.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 