Mark Williams makes brutal prediction for Stephen Hendry’s Snooker 900 return

Stephen Hendry returns to the snooker table on Monday but Mark Williams is not expecting him to have much joy at the Crucible Cup.

The two-day event held in Reading boasts a brilliant line-up of Hendry, Williams, John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Barry Hawkins, Xiao Guodong and Gary Wilson.

It will be played in 900 rules, which are 15-minute (900-second) frames, with a shot clock and amended rules, including ball-in-hand for a foul.

The matches are best-of-11 frames and Hendry is taking on Robertson in his quarter-final contest, which would be a tough ask for anyone, never mind someone who first retired in 2012.

The seven-time world champion did make a return to the professional tour in 2020 when he accepted a wildcard but achieved very little success in the tournament he played.

His good friend Williams is not tipping him for any glory this week either.

‘We all know what he’s going to do. Like the last time he tried – useless,’ said Williams. ‘What is it? The best of 11 frames? So, 6-0, innit?’

Williams did have some kinder words for the 56-year-old, who initially retired aged 43 after a World Championship quarter-final defeat to Stephen Maguire.

In that 2012 World Championship Hendry had made a 147 and beaten John Higgins, but a crushing 13-2 defeat to Maguire saw him hang up his cue.

‘You know, we always have a laugh and a joke, but I think, looking back, he’d probably given up a bit too early last time,’ Williams said.

‘I don’t think he could get over getting beaten all the time. But he was still in the top 32, definitely, when he retired.

‘Maybe if you ask him if he could go back, he’d have carried on to see where his form went.’

Ronnie O’Sullivan was more optimistic about Hendry’s chances in Reading this week, saying: ‘I think he’s got a chance. In the 900, if you foul, it’s ball-in-hand, anyone can clear up.

‘The pockets are probably a little bit more generous than the main match table. So I can’t see why he couldn’t win some matches.’

The Rocket added on Instagram: ‘Hendry’s capable of knocking in centuries, 147s.

‘I played two or three frames with him in Saudi Arabia. First frame I made a decent break, next frame Stephen knocked in a hundred, flawless. So he can still do it, no problem. I wouldn’t count Stephen out.’

O’Sullivan also went on something of a rollercoaster of emotions when considering Mark Selby playing Xiao Guodong on Monday evening.

He said: ‘That’s going to be a grind. But with the 900, it’ll be a quick grind.

As it happens, that’s one of the matches I’m going to be more intrigued to see. Under normal rules many people might not have much interest in that game, but with the 900 rules that’s going to make it a really exciting game.

‘So that’s going to be my favourite match to watch.’

The event is being shown on TV channel Pluto Snooker 900 and on the Pluto TV app.

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