Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis qualify for UK Championship – Snooker news
Seven-time World Champion, Stephen Hendry, and six-time World Champion, Steve Davis, have safely negotiated the 2011 UK Championship qualifiers at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester, as they beat Gerard Greene and Andrew Higginson by a frame score
of 6-2 respectively.
Hendry, who has won UK title five times before, stormed into a 2-0 lead with a top break of 72 before Greene levelled the score-line at 2-2 with a classy 104. Hendry however showed no reeling effects and won all of the following frames in a row to seal his
victory. He made a break of 63 in the fifth and seventh frame.
Hendry is out of the top 16 players for the first time since 1988 and therefore he admitted it was a different kind of pressure for him.
“Playing in the qualifiers is a different kind of pressure for me, but my position in the rankings is self-inflicted and that's why I'm here. I'm not used to it and I want to get back into the top 16 as soon as possible. I just tried to concentrate on the
match today and put in as much effort as I could,” said Hendry.
Hendry will now face fellow Scot Stephen Maguire in the first round in York on Saturday, December 3, 2011.
Meanwhile, the 54-year-old Davis also spotted a berth in the first round after he comfortably shrugged off Andrew Higginson. Davis did not need to play his best snooker as he was able to beat Higginson with breaks of 52 and 63.
Steve Davis has now set up a showpiece clash with three-time Crucible winner, Ronnie ‘the Rocket’ O’Sullivan on Sunday, December 4, 2011 and Davis knows their match is going to pull a huge crowd.
Davis said, “You can't ask for more than a match against Ronnie at the UK. It's what we play for. Plus it gives me a day when I don't have to sit next to John Parrott!”
All that is left to see is whether Hendry and Davis, who once ruled the sport, will be able to beat the likes of Stephen Maguire and Ronnie O’Sullivan or not.
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