Hendry interview in The Sun
STEPHEN HENDRY has gone from Clash of the Titans to David versus Goliath inside a week.
Hendry's build-up for his 25th World Snooker Championship has been varied to say the least.
But then he faces no ordinary match in today's opening round.
The seven-time champ meets Chinese wonderkid Anda Zhang, 18, who makes his debut on snooker's biggest stage by playing its most decorated player.
Back in 1986, a blossoming Hendry was applauded out of the arena after losing his first game against Willie Thorne.
Now Hendry, 41, has come full circle and is one of the giants of the baize, even if it has been 11 years since he last won the big one.
The Scot said: "Preparing for The Crucible is always difficult. My kids have been off for Easter and, while I was practising three to four hours a day, I also had to take them to the pictures to see Clash of The Titans.
"I still get a massive buzz going to Sheffield for the World Championship. I'm sure Anda is excited. I bet he can't wait to play me.
"I couldn't wait to play my first match there. You shouldn't be in professional sport if you don't look forward to games like this.
"I am excited, because I don't know what to expect. It's five or six years since I last won a tournament.
"After playing Willie, I said I'd be world champion by 21 and retire at 25. Yet I'm still going. I had lots of five-year plans and just carried on because I love the game and can still play it.
"Back in the 1990s, I'd look ahead to see who I'd be playing in the semi-finals. Now it's very much one game at a time.
"The targets have changed, too. The season started with me at No 10 and I'll need a really good Crucible to achieve my target of being top eight.
"But to have done 25 years consistently in the top 16 is something to be proud of."
Hendry's steely fixation on success has mellowed with age, though the rush of blood that comes with tournament play remains a key component of his longevity.
Times have changed around him. The new kids on the chalk are coming from the Far East not the fertile fields of Scotland, which produced him and reigning world champ John Higgins among others.
Zhang has stormed through four qualifiers just for the privilege of playing Hendry.
He even succeeded in putting ex-world champ John Parrott into retirement with one of his wins.
Hendry reached the quarter-finals of the recent China Open and made the last eight in Sheffield last year, hitting a sensational 147 maximum en route to remind fans there is life in him yet.
He added: "I'm a bit lazy now-adays. I can't be bothered to drive an hour for a game, so I tend to work on my own.
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"Most players do six or seven hours but that's usually in company. I work on my own so although I cannot do what an 18-year-old does, I still do a lot of preparation.
"It's the same routines and drills I've done since I was a teenager. That's 25 years of the same stuff. It can grind you down but being a snooker player is my job."
Hendry genuinely believes he still has another big title in his armoury. But he has tipped rejuvenated friend and former world champ Mark Williams as a decent bet to go on to be the man to win this year's Crucible crown.
He said: "Mark had a good win in China and only narrowly lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan at The Masters in January.
"He has to play him again in the second round and, if he comes through that, then he is really on fire. John Higgins is also looking good but, grudgingly, I'd tip Mark."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... attle.html
Hendry's build-up for his 25th World Snooker Championship has been varied to say the least.
But then he faces no ordinary match in today's opening round.
The seven-time champ meets Chinese wonderkid Anda Zhang, 18, who makes his debut on snooker's biggest stage by playing its most decorated player.
Back in 1986, a blossoming Hendry was applauded out of the arena after losing his first game against Willie Thorne.
Now Hendry, 41, has come full circle and is one of the giants of the baize, even if it has been 11 years since he last won the big one.
The Scot said: "Preparing for The Crucible is always difficult. My kids have been off for Easter and, while I was practising three to four hours a day, I also had to take them to the pictures to see Clash of The Titans.
"I still get a massive buzz going to Sheffield for the World Championship. I'm sure Anda is excited. I bet he can't wait to play me.
"I couldn't wait to play my first match there. You shouldn't be in professional sport if you don't look forward to games like this.
"I am excited, because I don't know what to expect. It's five or six years since I last won a tournament.
"After playing Willie, I said I'd be world champion by 21 and retire at 25. Yet I'm still going. I had lots of five-year plans and just carried on because I love the game and can still play it.
"Back in the 1990s, I'd look ahead to see who I'd be playing in the semi-finals. Now it's very much one game at a time.
"The targets have changed, too. The season started with me at No 10 and I'll need a really good Crucible to achieve my target of being top eight.
"But to have done 25 years consistently in the top 16 is something to be proud of."
Hendry's steely fixation on success has mellowed with age, though the rush of blood that comes with tournament play remains a key component of his longevity.
Times have changed around him. The new kids on the chalk are coming from the Far East not the fertile fields of Scotland, which produced him and reigning world champ John Higgins among others.
Zhang has stormed through four qualifiers just for the privilege of playing Hendry.
He even succeeded in putting ex-world champ John Parrott into retirement with one of his wins.
Hendry reached the quarter-finals of the recent China Open and made the last eight in Sheffield last year, hitting a sensational 147 maximum en route to remind fans there is life in him yet.
He added: "I'm a bit lazy now-adays. I can't be bothered to drive an hour for a game, so I tend to work on my own.
Advertisement
Quantcast
"Most players do six or seven hours but that's usually in company. I work on my own so although I cannot do what an 18-year-old does, I still do a lot of preparation.
"It's the same routines and drills I've done since I was a teenager. That's 25 years of the same stuff. It can grind you down but being a snooker player is my job."
Hendry genuinely believes he still has another big title in his armoury. But he has tipped rejuvenated friend and former world champ Mark Williams as a decent bet to go on to be the man to win this year's Crucible crown.
He said: "Mark had a good win in China and only narrowly lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan at The Masters in January.
"He has to play him again in the second round and, if he comes through that, then he is really on fire. John Higgins is also looking good but, grudgingly, I'd tip Mark."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... attle.html
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