Stephen Hendry has opened up about a memorable night in Bangkok with Steve Davis, describing it as one of the funniest moments he has ever witnessed. The seven-time world champion recalled how the former six-time world champion, often labeled a boring snooker robot, surprised him with an unexpected dance floor performance.
A Shift in Relationship
Hendry and Davis were fierce rivals during the 1990s, with Hendry taking over as the dominant force after winning his first world title in 1990. Davis, who had ruled the 1980s, struggled to accept Hendry's rise. However, as both players stepped back from top-level competition, their relationship softened.
In his CueTipsPlus newsletter, Hendry wrote: 'Over the years, we became closer. As we started to go down in our careers we both became friendlier with other people. We started talking more and we’d sometimes spend time slagging off the other players. It sounds evil, but it was all done with a dry sense of humour, which is what Steve is known for.'
The Unforgettable Night
Hendry recounted a specific trip to Thailand: 'We once played a tournament in Thailand. We both lost and went out for a night in Bangkok. We had dinner and then went to a bar. I went up to order some drinks, turned around and there was Steve in the middle of the dancefloor, dancing on his own. I just burst out laughing, it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t expecting it!'
He added: 'He’s got a brilliant sense of humour and is great company. We’re not competing with each other any more, so we can just be friends.'
Davis's Past Resentment
Davis has previously admitted that he found it difficult to cope with Hendry's emergence. In a 2015 Eurosport interview, he said: 'One minute I had all the sweets locked up in my own little sweet jar, the next minute they were spilled on the floor and Stephen had them all. For most of the 90’s I didn’t like him at all, hated him, hated the thought that he was better than me, I didn’t even want to acknowledge he existed.'
Davis explained that Hendry's aggressive playing style was a challenge he couldn't adapt to: 'Hendry played a stronger, more aggressive game that I had not grown up with and I didn’t know how to teach myself new tricks. My problem was how do I cope with this new player playing this new aggressive game when all of my career I was able to wait for people to make mistakes?'
Hendry's Perspective on Rivalry
Davis suggested that Hendry handled the arrival of Ronnie O'Sullivan better than he handled Hendry's own rise. However, Hendry clarified: 'That’s what I was projecting outwardly. I enjoyed it at the beginning, near the end when I didn’t feel I had the game to compete I didn’t enjoy it. Ronnie beat me in the semi-final of the Worlds 17-6 [in 2008] and I just didn’t feel I had the game to compete. That was horrible at the end, I hated that.'
Today, the two legends share a strong friendship, with Davis now known for his band The Utopia Strong and DJ sets, proving there is much more to him than snooker.
