How many matches has Stephen Hendry won during his snooker comeback? Scot withdraws from UK Championship

ByEurosport

Updated 04/11/2022 at 08:46 GMT

Stephen Hendry will continue to focus on his punditry duties at the Champion of Champions rather than play in the UK Championship qualifiers. The seven-time world champion and five-time UK winner was due to meet Welshman Andrew Pagett on Saturday, but has decided to opt out of a trip to Sheffield to concentrate on TV work in Bolton. How has Hendry's comeback gone since he returned last year?

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Stephen Hendry caused controversy by deciding to withdraw from the UK Championship qualifiers on Saturday to focus on his work as a pundit at the invitational Champion of Champions event.

The seven-time world champion was due to face Welshman Andrew Pagett at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, but has decided to remain in Bolton with his TV work taking priority over his playing commitments.

Hendry defended his decision by suggesting tournament organisers could have rescheduled his match.

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Despite his explanation via Twitter, the late call-off has prompted derision after world No. 88 Pagett was handed a bye to the second qualifying round rather than World Snooker Tour officials opting to find a replacement.

"How disgusting is this @WeAreWST [World Snooker Tour] when there are hungry players like myself chomping at the bit to get in these tournaments now, missing out by 2 places from the order of merit. Shambles," said former world No. 69 Steven Hallworth on Twitter.

Hendry's fellow Scot John Higgins admits the decision to abandon playing commitments was avoidable.

“I’m not really sorry that Stephen won’t be at the UK Championship. He shouldn’t be taking up the space if he is going to pull out," said Higgins, the four-time world champion, speaking to reporters.

“It’s a shame to see something like that happening with Stephen, and he will get a bit of a backlash now. But he will see it as trying to play and World Snooker haven’t gone with him on the dates."

Hendry retired after losing 13-2 to Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals of the 2012 World Championship after a decline in consistency, but decided to return in 2021 after being handed a wildcard to compete on the main tour by former WST chairman Barry Hearn in 2020. It was renewed for a further two seasons in April.

He made his 776th career century in a 4-1 defeat to Matthew Selt in the first round of the 2021 Gibraltar Open, but has toiled to recapture the peak form of his halcyon days when he lifted seven world titles between 1990 and 1999.

Hendry has so far won only three out of 13 matches, including a 6-3 World Championship qualifying victory over Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White, the man he famously defeated in four world finals.