‘Worst final I’ve ever seen’ says Stephen Hendry as he lifts lid on 2024 clash that was a ‘tough watch’
STEPHEN HENDRY has lifted the lid on the “worst final I’ve ever seen”, admitting the 2024 clash was a “tough watch” for fans and pundits alike.
Hendry, 55, knows a thing or two about finals after winning a joint-record seven snooker World Championships.
His first victory in 1990 saw him become the youngest world champ ever aged 21 years and 106 days.
And Hendry’s 36 ranking title wins have only been surpassed by the 41 won by Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Now, the snooker legend works as a pundit after retiring for a second time last year.
But Hendry reckons 2024 also saw the “worst final” in snooker history.
The ace claims Mark Allen and Zhang Anda produced a real snore-fest in the final of the Players Championship.
Northern Ireland star Allen beat his Chinese opponent 10-8 to claim the £125,000 jackpot.
He even admitted “it wasn’t a lot of fun” after making just one century.
And Hendry believes it was even harder to take in watching from the side.
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He told Cue Tips: “I have to say, because I remember working on it for ITV, it was probably the worst final I’ve ever watched.
“Against Zhang Anda, it was probably the worst final I’ve ever seen, it was horrendous.
“But at the end of the day you win a trophy. I’ve played in some shocking matches and won, in my career. But that was a tough watch.”
Hendry went on to explain that Allen’s slow style of play did not help matters.
He added: “There’s not a player in the world who doesn’t benefit from picking up the pace a bit.
“But I’m reluctant to criticise anyone too much that’s picking up the trophies he’s been picking up the last two or three years.
“You can’t say it’s wrong. But now I think he’s suffering a little bit from the way he’s played.”
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins