Stephen Hendry Announces Immediate Retirement From Snooker!
Discussion
One of the (if not the) last remaining decent sportsmen from the 90s (and even 80s)
Sad day.
Edited to add:
Just seen more footage of him - its really hit home, I am quite gutted.
I think a number of factors have finished him off - mainly the fact that there are so many tournaments and so much travelling - a lot of 'old timers' have said its not ideal. If it was liek the old days where he was guranteed to be playing a few tournaments and always in the top spot then it might be different.
Obviously the game has still moved on and there are a lot of good players out there all at a similar level - the days of dominance are probably gone.
I think for the last few years Hendry had maybe lost the physical skill but had the mental skill.
I think he has lost the mental element now (i.e the will/desire) which is probably the killer blow in Snooker.
Its funny watching his most recent interviews and seeing how brutal he is about winning and winning alone - he didn't seem that bothered about retiring now the winning is gone.
Sad day.
Edited to add:
Just seen more footage of him - its really hit home, I am quite gutted.
I think a number of factors have finished him off - mainly the fact that there are so many tournaments and so much travelling - a lot of 'old timers' have said its not ideal. If it was liek the old days where he was guranteed to be playing a few tournaments and always in the top spot then it might be different.
Obviously the game has still moved on and there are a lot of good players out there all at a similar level - the days of dominance are probably gone.
I think for the last few years Hendry had maybe lost the physical skill but had the mental skill.
I think he has lost the mental element now (i.e the will/desire) which is probably the killer blow in Snooker.
Its funny watching his most recent interviews and seeing how brutal he is about winning and winning alone - he didn't seem that bothered about retiring now the winning is gone.
Edited by Mojooo on Wednesday 2nd May 01:39
Right decision. No longer winning or competing consistently against most players and with the calendar getting busier than ever regarding building ranking points I can see how he has had enough.
In it to win it or not at all.
He earned legendary status long ago.
I did think before the last match with the progress he has been making in the World Championship that he was on for one last blaze of glory but not so.
In it to win it or not at all.
He earned legendary status long ago.
I did think before the last match with the progress he has been making in the World Championship that he was on for one last blaze of glory but not so.
Mojoo alluded in an earlier post how brutal he was towards winning and being the best. I think this is the reason he topped the game for so many years, it was the relentlessness of practice, more practice and even more practice. He didn't used to just beat opponents, he'd wipe the floor with them.
Personally, I was never a fan, I always supported the underdog, so for all those years I cheered on Jimmy White, or whoever was against him on the table. I remember watching a documentary about him many years ago, and found his obsession with beating Steve Davis borderline disturbing, almost arrogant. Didn't exactly endear him to the audience.
No question of his ability back in the day, but those days are gone now, and family life etc have clearly meant his priorities lie elsewhere.
Good luck to him, one of the legends of the modern game.
Personally, I was never a fan, I always supported the underdog, so for all those years I cheered on Jimmy White, or whoever was against him on the table. I remember watching a documentary about him many years ago, and found his obsession with beating Steve Davis borderline disturbing, almost arrogant. Didn't exactly endear him to the audience.
No question of his ability back in the day, but those days are gone now, and family life etc have clearly meant his priorities lie elsewhere.
Good luck to him, one of the legends of the modern game.
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