Stephen Hendry has made his stance crystal clear after witnessing some alarming behaviour at the World Snooker Championship
Stephen Hendry has warned that European players have to urgently raise their game or risk being left behind in the snooker world. The past two Crucible champions have both come from China, with Zhao Xintong claiming victory in 2025 and Wu Yize emerging triumphant earlier this week.
Seven-time champion Hendry still holds the distinction of being the youngest ever winner, though Wu now sits second on that list following his victory over Shaun Murphy on Monday. A total of 11 Chinese players featured in the main draw in Sheffield from a field of 32, with only England (13) providing more representatives.
“It’s incredible, the talent coming from China now. The young talent is incredible,” BBC pundit Hendry said on his Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips YouTube channel.
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He added: “They are taking the game to new levels. We need some young blood from these shores – obviously with Stan Moody, Liam Pullen did really well, Antoni Kowalski did really well at the World Championship.
“These three are going to have to step up if they’re going to keep up with the likes of Xintong and Wu Yize.”
English hopeful Moody, 19, made his World Championship first-round debut and established an early advantage against former champion Kyren Wilson before eventually succumbing 10-7.
Pullen was also making his main draw bow at 20 and claimed six frames from Chris Wakelin.
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Kowalski became Poland’s first representative in the tournament at the age of 22 after navigating three qualifying rounds. His run also concluded in round one, with Mark Williams inflicting a 10-4 defeat.
New world champion Wu, also 22, had never progressed past the first round in Sheffield prior to this year. Yet after defeating former world champions Murphy and Mark Selby in this year’s tournament, he has no intention of leaving the city he has considered home since the age of 16.
“I don’t have any plans,” Wu told BBC Sport following his dramatic 18-17 victory in the final.
He added: “I think I will buy a house or an apartment in Sheffield for practice and the World Championship.”
One more seasoned European player who earned plaudits from Hendry was runner-up Murphy. The 43-year-old received glowing praise during his semi-final victory over reigning champion Zhao, which led him to joke about the pundit requiring an intervention.
Hendry said: “It was nigh on the perfect session. I don’t think Shaun will have ever played as good a session, it was a super-human performance and it needed that to take out Zhao Xintong, because he wasn’t playing badly.”
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