medium sizeMay 2, 1994, today. White led 37-24, the table was open and even the usually stoic Hundley showed signs of concern. White bends down to deal with Black, who usually plays pot with his eyes closed.
The moment White conquered Mount Everest, it should have been his crowning glory. Instead, that was the day music died. There was a gasp around the Crucible when White’s attempt at Black failed to threaten the pocket. All he could do was sit back and wait, hoping that Hendry would give him another chance.
If White’s fumble had been to anyone other than Hundley, the eventual defeat wouldn’t have been felt as strongly. But this is a man who will take any chance he gets. For those of us who desperately wanted White to win, all hope was lost. Commentator Dennis Taylor rightly pointed out that Hendry had an iron mind. There’s still work to be done, but privately we all know the odds. The story ended with Hendry’s break of 58 to win the set and the match, but there was plenty of drama along the way.
The road to the final was filled with uncertainty, turmoil and pain. Both players came to the Crucible with doubts about their games. Hendry started the season well, but his form has declined. A shock loss to world amateur champion Tai Pichette at the Thailand Open, while he also failed to reach the final at the Irish Masters or British Open. “My confidence was shattered and I was going through the worst period of my career,” Hendry said. “Losing to my opponent in Thailand was the lowest point of my career.” Even so, Hendry is still the man to beat, a point underlined by his odds of 11-8.
Hundley’s struggles are nothing compared to White’s. 1994 was an unforgettable year both on and off the field. A three-year drink-driving ban and marital problems did his snooker fortunes no favors: White was yet to reach a final in the 1993-94 season. In reality, his 13-2 odds have more to do with his popularity and record at the Crucible than with his form. Still, he’s talking about a great game. “My game is coming back, there’s no doubt about it. I’m confident in the way I play,” he said. “Now that’s all behind me, I put in seven hours of practice every day. I’m buzzing again.
White’s early performance is a testament to his confidence. He notched two centuries, including 14 with the red and black balls, in a 10-6 first-round win over Billy Saddon, and he continued to effort. “After that performance, I have as good a chance as anybody,” White said optimistically. Wins over Neal Foltz and Ken Doherty eased him into the Final Four.
Hendry’s path to the one-table format was not so smooth. After defeating Surinder Gill 10-1, he led Dave Harrold 7-1 in the second round. But the comfort ends there. In a week when Brian Lara broke the record for the highest Test match innings, Hendry was about to break something himself.
Hundley’s ability to compete was also questioned after he slipped in a hotel bathroom and broke his arm. “I put my left arm down to cushion the fall, and that’s when the damage happened,” he said. “I feared the worst for a few hours because I couldn’t straighten my arm. But I was relieved when the specialist said the fracture wasn’t that serious and I could continue playing.
Hendry was hampered by a hairline fracture below his left elbow in his 13-8 quarter-final win over Nigel Bond. “The pain is definitely worse than my last game,” he said. “It’s OK when I bridge normally, but my bridge is weak.” Hendry is battling pain and there’s a good chance he’ll have to withdraw.
Hendry will need all his ability and determination to defeat a new-look Steve Davis in the semi-finals. The 36-year-old is enjoying a fine season and comes into the Crucible as second favorite. Hendry overcame the pain in his arm and ended Davis’ dream of a seventh world championship, winning eight games in a row to reach the final again with White.
The main obstacles in the white half appear to be 18-year-old Ronnie O’Sullivan and 1991 champion John Parrott. O’Sullivan has won the British Championship, British Open and Benson Hedges Championship, and won his first world championship 6-1. But Parrott ended his hopes, winning 13-3 in the second round.
Parrott subsequently lost to Darren Morgan, although he performed slightly better than the three former champions who immediately bowed out. Cliff Thorburn squandered a 9-2 lead to lose 10-9 to Nigel Bond; Alex Higgins ) lost 10-6 to Doherty, with the Hurricanes having disagreements with referee John Williams during the match; Dennis Taylor lost to O’Sullivan. None of them raced again at the Crucible. White continued his impressive form as he defeated Morgan 16-8 to reach his fifth consecutive world final and sixth.
“The whole world and his dog are going to support Jimmy, but that’s how it always goes,” Hundley said. With the Scots leading 5-1, White once again seemed to be in final despair. But White fought hard, winning eight of the next 10 frames to lead 9-7 going into the final day: Bank Holiday Monday, May 2, White’s 32nd birthday. This is his chance to lose his tag as the best player to never win a world title.
A final tiebreaker seemed inevitable. Players from both sides traded blows until the score reached 17-17. The two players shook hands before the decider, which was fitting for a final in which both players displayed sportsmanship throughout.
That’s it. John Williams, who refereed the 1985 classic final, asked for silence before White began the decider. White took the red and black and missed a good chance to open up a healthy lead before a safety fumble handed the chance to Hundley. However, after breaking at 24, Hendry was unable to score the difficult red ball. White has a chance.
This is painful for those of us who want White to win. We watch every shot through our fingers, and so far, everything is going according to plan. White opened the situation on the black chess and made a wonderful shot on the next red chess, and after the extended break, the point difference was chased to 29 points. Even Hendry thought his game was over. “When he came in, I was happy for him. I and everyone else would have hated it. I was ready to shake his hand and really congratulate him because he deserves this title.
But then something happened. He missed the simplest black ball and handed a second chance to a player you couldn’t afford to give up. . White’s face was filled with pain and his expression was glazed over as Hundley charged in for the kill.
Hendry did have a tense moment when a pink ball wobbled before falling, but there was something chilling about the inevitability of a breakthrough that looked far easier than it actually was. “I’m happy for Stephen Hendry, but I can cry for the gentleman sitting in the chair,” Taylor said, as the camera zoomed in on a devastated White. He is not alone.
Tragedy is an overused word in sports. White’s failure was re-examined the weekend after Elton Heenan died at Imola. “He’s starting to annoy me,” White famously said of four-time champion Hendry during a chat with David Wine, trying to deal with his injury with humor.
“I didn’t stay calm on black,” White admitted. “It was a bloodbath and I paid a heavy price. If necessary I will keep coming back until I’m 100, until I win the title. That won’t stop me. Hendry backed White to return and eventually lift trophy. But that classic final in 1994 was White’s final push for glory and the missed black will forever haunt him as Hendry beat his party again.
