1991 – HENDRY PULLS OFF GREATEST COMEBACK
Stephen Hendry won the Wembley Masters at his first attempt in 1989 and again in 1990. In 1991, a hat-trick looked distinctly unlikely when he lost all seven frames of the first session to Mike Hallett.
It appeared as if Hallett, drubbed 9-0 in the 1988 final by Steve Davis, would land the biggest prize of his career.
All sorts of doubts creep into a player’s mind in such a scenario, the worst of them being the knowledge that they could never forgive themselves if they were to lose from such a long way ahead.
It was made worse by the fact there were three hours between sessions. Hallett, of course, at 7-0 would rather have just got on with it.
Hendry won two of the first three frames but, trailing 8-2, was still set for a heavy defeat.
This seemed a certainty when Hallett was clearing up to win the 11th frame but he got a slight kick on the blue which left match ball pink a little more awkward than he would have liked.
He missed it, Hendry won the frame and they headed for the interval with the scores standing at 8-3.
What a horrible 15 minutes that must have been for Hallett. Meanwhile, Hendry sensed blood and went on to complete the greatest comeback ever seen in a major final.
Hallett went on to win titles after this but the defeat irrevocably knocked his confidence and he dropped out of the top 16 a year later.
20 comments:
Ouch! Your Eurosport co-commentator will be very grateful for this blog... ;-)
But, of course, you're right as it's definitely one of the major moments in Masters history.
cheers,
Eric
So it is true that Clive Everton is being marginalised in his commentary for the BBC. A shocking decision considering what this man has done to promote the game in various ways. Along with Willie Thorne they are only two great snooker commentators left. I hope Clive is still used at other events. I know Dave wont comment on this but I wish we could find out why the bbc has done it or whether Clive voluntarily chose to go part time. Despite this I hope we don't get a load of anti bbc posts as they are vital to the games popularity and in general the coverage is excellent.However Clive will be missed as he provided the perfect complement to the guff of Taylor.
Personally I'd take anyone over Thorne, he's awful!! Without Clive, he will be unbearable.
Willie Thorne has grown into an excellent commentator. His reading of the game, particularly breakbuilding situations is first class. Added to that he has his own very distinct vernacular. He also is a punter and punters tell it more straight than the likes of Taylor and Virgo. Thorne never worked with Everton.
It's ok Dave, i will post a comment about your subject as it appears others want to air their views about other things.
good blog. i remember the comeback well. one of the best comebacks of the modern snooker era.
Good blog great to think back to those moments.Sorry David, i know iam going of topic but was that, my fellow irishman michael mcmullen commentating on the champions league today?. Just wondering who the different voice was.
Bryan
Yes it was Michael as I had to be elsewhere
I hadn't heard that Everton is going part-time. Any explanation about why this is would be very welcome.
Also, can someone explain why Thorne and Everton don't commentate together? I assume it's because they don't get along, but is there one particular incident that's at the root of the problem?
I await my next snooker scene with interest as to off topic comments some people have made on this thread.
John H
What is your favourite colour Dave?
Thorne's analysis may be good, but my problem wiyh him is that there is just too much of it - he never stops talking!
you wont please all of the people all of the time
i know a lot of folk who cant stand clive commentating
i know a lot of folk who cant stand WT commentating
i much prefer WT to anyone else
I wasn't at all surprised to find out Clive Everton doesn't get along with Thorne, perhaps due to some "incident"... I don't have a problem with any of the other ex-players in the commentary booth, they're all decent blokes who inject some nice humour into the coverage. But Willie Thorne is simply a self-centred and unfunny clown, who's clearly still bitter about his underachieving career, and his other self-inflicted problems, like his gambling "incidents" and whatnot. And he just NEVER stops talking, he overnarrates through the whole frame. It's an utter travesty that this extremely obnoxious clown is kept on the payroll, while the erudite, well-researched and level-headed Everton is being marginalised. The BBC is a national disgrace, it just gets worse and worse every day, all across the entire spectrum of their output.
I wish Thorne would talk more. I love listening to his explanations and predictions.
Firstly I never said that Thorne and Everton don't get along. They don't commentate together as they are seen as lead commentators and are not suited together so much. The BBC is not a national disgrace, the reason people make a dig at it is that is so big and has an aura about it. The BBC is crucial to the prosperity of the game, Dave said something similar in an earlier blog. Im going to start a facebook group demanding the return of Clive Everton. I will call it we want Everton full time.
I'm not going to get involved in this except to say that if you read The Guardian tomorrow you'll find out why Clive isn't commentating on the Masters
Slightly off thread but the Masters was mentioned in Eastenders last night. Also Bobby George said that Gary Anderson almost went pro at snooker.
hopefully the guardian "article" is available to read online.
the only one id miss is WT anyway, but if the reasons for CE not doing the masters aint "fair" in my book id say so, even if hes not one of my favourites
The Guardian article is indeed online, I've linked to it on my blog which you can access by clicking on my name here if you can't find it otherwise.
Essentially it says that it is part of the BBC's plan to "refresh" the coverage. Make of that what you will.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jan/10/snooker-clive-everton
if you dont want to go via another blog
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