By Elliott West
“There was lots of stuff to be encouraged by. I thought my long game was pretty good, especially in the first half of the match. I cued quite nicely on occasions, which is what I’m after. I’m working very hard with Stephen Feeney on the technical side of the game. I’m getting better every day but I’m obviously lacking a bit of match composure”.
Stephen Hendry
Introduction
Views were mixed when Stephen Hendry was offered a two-year professional tour card. Up to this point, there had been little signs on the table that Stephen had improved in form since retirement from the sport in 2012. However, behind the scenes, the Scot has been working with Steve Feeney and the SightRight team to improve all aspects of his game and there have been whispers that he has been making century breaks on the practice table.
Now 52, Hendry is often pictured with a Cuban cigar in his hand or playing a round of golf but perhaps this is a devious smokescreen to the hard work he has been putting in to start playing well again and his aim to take a few scalps in the various tournaments he decides to play in. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day and Stephen is well aware of the mammoth task ahead of him to prove his doubters wrong with his headline decision to return to the tour after a decade of retirement.
Touches of the Old Magic
The Hendry winning fuse was lit this week as he prepared to play Chris Wakelin in the first round of the British Open in Leicester. Few were saying that Hendry could win this match and the pressure was piled on his opponent to get the job done and expel the former world champion from the tournament. However the story would not unfold that way and Wakelin, despite playing well to bring the match back to 2-2, couldn’t get over the line in the deciding frame. A frame that was frankly scrappy and one where Hendry had to dig deep to win the frame and match.
Stephen’s highest break in the match was only 47, a match that was often tense and drawn out. However, Hendry can take encouragement from his performance in that he wasn’t his usual potting mess and was more fluent in play, able to string a reasonable break together and missing less of those dolly shots that had previously plagued his concentration process.
The Scot now has a degree of belief when he strikes the cue ball and the thud of the ball as it hits the back of the pocket in a short or long-range ball attempt is always satisfying for the player involved. Despite suffering from a corn on his foot, this performance is a vast improvement to his initial outing at the Gibraltar Open where he was comfortably beaten by Matthew Selt 4-1 and his win against Jimmy White at the World Championship qualifiers.
I have a strong feeling that this best of 5, British Open format will suit Hendry and he may go a little further in the tournament than expected. Confidence is always fuelled by success and Stephen may be about to create some of that former magic in his twilight years before he finally puts away his cue once and for all. He will now play either Gary Wilson or Fergal O’Brien in the next round of the British Open.
