Stephen Hendry has uncovered a picture from the first time he ever played Ronnie O’Sullivan, marvelling at his own ‘horrendous mullet’ at the time.
The two seven-time world champions first met on the professional circuit in 1993 at the Dubai Classic, before the Rocket stunned Hendry in the final of the UK Championship as a teenager the same year.
They would go on to have epic battles across the biggest tournaments in the sport as they both forged legendary careers.
Hendry was long considered the greatest player of all time, but for most onlookers O’Sullivan has now overtaken him in the GOAT debate.
Their time together on the table goes all the way back to an exhibition before O’Sullivan had even turned professional.
The Scot has come across a picture from that first ever meeting on the baize, sounding a bit sketchy on the details, but reckons it is around 35 years ago…if the haircut is anything to go by.
‘Found this picture, thought it would make a good throwback,’ Hendry wrote on Instagram.
‘The first time I ever played Ronnie. It was in an exhibition in Essex.
‘Probably around 1990 judging by my horrendous mullet 🤣I’m guessing he was about 14.’
It was not long after this photo was taken that O’Sullivan was beating Hendry 10-6 to win that 1993 UK Championship final at just 17 years old.
He became the youngest winner of a ranking event as he did so, and has since become the oldest winner of the UK Championship when he lifted the trophy for an eighth time in 2023.
Looking back on that first triumph 32 years ago, O’Sullivan told Eurosport: ‘Obviously not as much pressure on me as there probably was on Stephen because he was the best player in the world and no-one knew who I was at that time.
‘So, obviously I was kind of coming in under the radar. I played him in a tournament before and felt like I’d maybe missed a few chances and gave him a bit too much respect.
‘And I think in the next match, I thought maybe just go in there believing you could beat this legend of the game.’
Hendry was not exactly rattled by that defeat to the teenage Rocket in 1993, going on to win the World Championship in 1994, ’95, ’96 and his seventh in ’99.
O’Sullivan has previously recalled the first time he ever saw Hendry in action, telling Eurosport: ‘I’d seen Stephen Hendry when he was 15 in Hastings and I’d heard a lot about this kid who was meant to be unbelievable.
‘He was playing in a club against a guy called Paul Tanner, who was as good an amateur who there was on the circuit and Hendry made him look silly.
‘He was bouncing round the table with a confidence and an arrogance and I remember thinking I’d never seen anyone play snooker like this in my life.
‘I went home and said “I’ve seen the best player I’ve ever seen, this geezer is unbelievable.” Three years on he won the Rothmans [1987 Grand Prix] and then took over.’