Hendry returns to Crucible stage
Stephen Hendry returns to the Crucible Theatre this afternoon for the first time since losing to Peter Ebdon in the 2002 final.
The 34-year-old Scot is among the favourites to go one better this time and starts his campaign against 110sport stablemate Gary Wilkinson.
But while confident in his own ability, Hendry admits he’s no longer the cast-iron favourite he once was.
Indeed, his victory over Mark Williams, another 110sport colleague, in the Regal Welsh Open last January remains his only ranking tournament win in nearly 18 months.
“I used to take for granted winning four and five tournaments a year,” says the world number six who has won 34 ranking titles in his 18-year pro career.
“When I used to leave for Sheffield my wife Mandy would ask, ’what am I going to wear on the final night?’ and I used to say to her, ’make sure you pack that suit for me for the final’.
“That’s a terrible thing to say with regards to the other players – but that’s what I used to think.
“When I was winning four or five on the spin I took it for granted and when it doesn’t happen, then it is a shock to the system and it hurts you badly.
“I would turn up at tournaments and would automatically be in the right frame of mind and just go through and win.
“But when that stopped four or five years ago, that’s when I used to come out with stupid comments like ’I’m going to quit’ and all that nonsense.”
Hendry won the last of his seven world titles in 1999 with an 18-11 success over Welshman Williams.
And he admits he still hasn’t totally come to terms with losing to Ebdon.
“I never thought I would see the day when I would bottle a chance to win the World Championship,” he added. “I had two great chances in that last frame but I collapsed.
“As soon as I got to 17-17 I thought I was going to win. To be honest, when it didn’t happen I was shocked.
“But I didn’t go into the match with a good attitude. I didn’t believe for one minute that Peter could beat me over 35 frames and after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final I just thought I would turn up and win the final.
“That’s a terrible attitude to take into the final. I’ve done it all throughout my career against people I thought I would beat easily.
“And when you come out and don’t play properly you lose and it was a painful lesson.
“It’s been one of my major weaknesses and it’s going to happen in the future. There’s nothing you can do about it.
“When I was winning regularly I was automatically motivated to win every tournament, but now I have to work at it and it’s a difficult thing to do.”
It will be a major shock, though, if Hendry doesn’t beat Nottinghamshire-based Wilkinson for a 15th time in 16 meetings and progress to a last-16 meeting against fellow Scot Drew Henry or Mark King, who play their opening session tonight.
And he has the added incentive of knowing he could yet regain the coveted number one spot in the rankings – provided results go his way in the next 17 days.
As tradition dictates, the defending champion competes on the opening day of the tournament.
And by tonight Peter Ebdon will have a better idea of whether he will become the only first-time champion to retain the trophy.
Ebdon meets Gerard Greene over the best of 19 frames – the only guaranteed result of the day.
On the adjoining table, 1991 champion John Parrott meets Australian Quinten Hann having had to qualify to join the party this year.
Parrott won’t win the title again but he’s got his own personal dual going with Davis as to who gets the farthest.
Both are dividing their time between playing and presenting BBC TV’s coverage of the championship.
