Snooker Legend's Comeback Meets Brutal Prediction
Snooker icon Stephen Hendry makes his highly anticipated return to the baize this week, but fellow legend Mark Williams has delivered a brutally honest prediction about his chances. The seven-time world champion is set to compete in the two-day Crucible Cup in Reading, an event featuring a star-studded line-up playing under the fast-paced Snooker 900 rules.
The tournament, taking place on November 24-25, 2025, boasts an impressive field including John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Barry Hawkins, Xiao Guodong and Gary Wilson alongside Hendry and Williams. Matches will be played as best-of-11 frames under modified rules that include 15-minute frames and a shot clock.
Williams' Frank Assessment of Hendry's Prospects
Mark Williams didn't mince words when assessing his good friend's likelihood of success. 'We all know what he's going to do. Like the last time he tried – useless,' said the three-time world champion. When reminded the format was best-of-11 frames, Williams bluntly predicted: 'So, 6-0, innit?'
Hendry faces a particularly challenging quarter-final against Neil Robertson on Monday afternoon – a tough assignment for any player, let alone someone who first retired back in 2012. The Scottish legend did attempt a professional comeback in 2020 after accepting a wildcard but achieved limited success in the tournaments he entered.
Williams did offer some more reflective comments on Hendry's original retirement at age 43 following a crushing 13-2 defeat to Stephen Maguire at the 2012 World Championship. 'I think, looking back, he'd probably given up a bit too early last time,' Williams noted. '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.'
O'Sullivan Offers More Optimistic Outlook
While Williams predicts a swift exit, Ronnie O'Sullivan has taken a more positive view of Hendry's chances in the Snooker 900 format. 'I think he's got a chance,' The Rocket stated. '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.'
O'Sullivan expanded on his Instagram, revealing: '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.'
The world champion also highlighted Monday evening's match between Mark Selby and Xiao Guodong as particularly intriguing. 'That's going to be a grind. But with the 900, it'll be a quick grind,' O'Sullivan said. '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.'
Crucible Cup Schedule and Viewing Details
The action kicks off on Monday, November 24 with afternoon quarter-finals featuring John Higgins versus Barry Hawkins at 1pm, followed by the highly anticipated clash between Neil Robertson and Stephen Hendry.
Evening sessions see Mark Selby taking on Xiao Guodong at 7pm, followed by Mark Williams against Gary Wilson. The tournament concludes on Tuesday, November 25 with semi-finals at 1pm and the final at 7pm.
Snooker fans can catch all the action on TV channel Pluto Snooker 900 and through the Pluto TV app, ensuring they don't miss a moment of this exciting format that's bringing together some of the sport's biggest names.
