Hendry shrugs off the blues

Newly-crowned British Open champion Stephen Hendry admitted he was down in the dumps before he arrived in Brighton.

Hendry produced a stunning display to win six of the last seven frames and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-6 in the final.

But the 34-year-old Scot, who has now won 35 ranking titles, was in the doldrums following his early exit from the previous tournament, the LG Cup in Preston.

Hendry had lost 5-3 to Michael Holt and did not want to practice. But a few words of advice from coach Terry Griffiths, the 1979 world champion, helped him to rediscover his old touch.

“Coming here I wasn’t that confident after the way I played in the LG Cup,” Hendry said.

“I hardly practised at all the week before I came here, just an hour or two a day. It just proves that putting the hours in isn’t always the answer.

“I have Terry to thank for giving me a kick up the backside. From the first frame of the tournament, where I made a total clearance against Dominic Dale, I never looked back all week.

“Terry lifted me and told me to remember how good I am. It doesn’t matter what you’ve won, you need belief, confidence and support.”