I’ve had a decent career, says modest Hendry as he quits

Stephen Hendry, seven times the winner of the world championship, last night announced his retirement after losing in the quarter-finals of this year’s event.

The 43-year-old bowed out of the sport after a 13-2 defeat to fellow Scot Stephen Maguire at the Crucible.

Hendry said: “I am officially retired now from tournament snooker. I made the decision about three months ago.”

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He added: “I didn’t tell many people. I only told two or three people, but this is me finished from tournament snooker.

“It was quite an easy decision. There’s a few reasons. The schedule didn’t help, the fact that I’m not playing the snooker I want to play didn’t help, the fact I’m not enjoying practice doesn’t help.

“I want to do other things. I’ve got a lot of commitments now in China, which I’ve signed up for and I can’t do that and play snooker because I would never be at home.”

Hendry continued: “The time is right for me. If I’d have won the title it would have been an even better way to go out.

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“I’m delighted I made a maximum here, that’s why I was more animated than normal when making it. I was delighted to do it on my last appearance here.”

Hendry beat Stuart Bingham in the first round at the world championship this year, firing a maximum break in the process, and then knocked out reigning champion John Higgins in round two.

Retirement though was always at the back of his mind, with Hendry knowing whoever beat him would be the last man to do so.

Hendry added: “It was not a spur of the moment thing. I thought about it last year but two or three months ago I just decided enough was enough.

“I haven’t got a lot of things to regret in my career.

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“Obviously it’s sad that your last match is a 13-2 drubbing but that was just the way it went. At least it wasn’t 13-0.

“I haven’t been able to play the way I’ve wanted to play for the last 10 years, and it’s just ground me down and down and down.

“I keep getting beaten in first rounds and second rounds by people I still know are not as good as me. After a while it becomes too much.

“I think I’ve had a decent career.”

Maguire finished off Hendry with a session to spare, and was not among the few people who knew his opponent’s retirement was imminent.

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“I’m shocked. I totally wasn’t expecting that there,” Maguire said.

“I don’t know why (he is retiring). I’m speechless. He’s left a great legacy. He’s the best player to ever pick up a cue in my eyes.”

Elsewhere on day one of the quarter-finals, Ronnie O’Sullivan trailed Neil Robertson 5-3 and Ali Carter was ahead by the same mark against Welsh qualifier Jamie Jones.

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