Elliot Slessor blasts Stephen Hendry’s commentary on his UK Championship win

Elliot Slessor picked up his first win in the main stages of the UK Championship but was not happy with how Stephen Hendry described it to the world.

Slessor beat Kyren Wilson 6-4 on Tuesday evening at the Barbican, reaching the last 16 of the tournament for the first time.

It is another fine result in a good season for the 31-year-old, who reached the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters and the quarters at the English Open as he continues his hunt for a first ranking title.

The game was not a classic, with both players admitting they struggled with difficult conditions in York, but Slessor clearly handled the situation the better of the two.

The world number 21 has clearly watched the game back since Tuesday night and is not thrilled with how Hendry described it on the BBC.

Replying to posts on X about Hendry’s commentary on his match, Slessor wrote: ‘Clearly does his research 😂😂😂 never gave me a licking of a dog all night. I’ve had more comments about him than my game.

‘Conditions were brutal, he took none of that into accord and hammered me. Anyways best of luck to him, unless you’ve won a World [Championship] or [you’re] a Chinese player he has no clue who you are.’

Hendry did admit before the game that he has not watched a great deal of Slessor in the past.

Asked by John Parrott if he had seen much of the five-time ranking semi-finalist, Hendry said: ‘I actually haven’t. I have to admit. But I hear a lot of good things.’

Slessor will re-focus his attention on the table as he takes on Barry Hawkins in the last 16 on Thursday night, admitting that his win over Wilson was not a thing of beauty, but did display admirable fight in difficult circumstances.

‘Delighted to win. It was a struggle, just hard work, just battled and stuck in there, but delighted to win,’ Slessor told TNT Sports. ‘I came to win and I won, so can’t grumble.

‘I think I’ve lost about 43 deciders here, so I thought I was due one. It’s great to win. It’s a little bit soul-destroying when you don’t perform the way you want, but as I say, I came to win and I won, so I can’t grumble.’

Slessor has been working with coach Chris Henry for two years now and credits him for helping him scrap through testing matches.

‘It has made a massive difference, more in hanging in games,’ he said. ‘I’m one of them, I like to play good snooker and if I don’t play good snooker I get the raving hump with myself.

‘I’m still annoyed with myself with not performing the way I want, but I’m more capable of hanging in instead of turning the tools in like I used to. I’ll stick in there a bit more.’

Hawkins downed David Lilley 6-4 on Tuesday night, also finding conditions a struggle, telling the BBC: ‘It’s had a lot of play since Saturday and when the cloth wears the pockets become nippier. They were tight today.

‘There was a few balls that should have gone in, I thought. I’m just pleased to still be in the tournament.’