Speaking on the latest episode of Snooker Club podcast, Stephen Hendry said he enjoyed seeing Ding Junhui return to the winner's circle at last week's International Championship, and his success will help snooker to flourish in China.
Ding beat Chris Wakelin 10-7 in last Sunday's final to win his first ranking title in five years. "It seems unbelievable he didn't win for that long," said Hendry. "You almost wondered whether he would win again. He is still the benchmark for the other Chinese players, his cue ball control is class. It's fantastic to see Ding doing well.
"It's a great result for snooker in China. He is such a hero there, the whole country will be delighted to see him back. The talk will continue about whether he can win that elusive World Championship. There is total adulation for him and imagine what it would be like if he did win a world title. The most revered athletes there are Olympic gold medalists and people who have won a World Championship. There is a weight on his shoulders because of that."
Podcast guest Michael Holt added: "I am a massive fan of Ding and he is a nice guy as well. If you don't like watching him play, you don't like snooker. He has had spells in his career where he has not won, and you wonder whether he has stopped practising or lost motivation. Then he wins something to remind everyone how good he is. There are so many fantastic Chinese players, but we all know Ding is the best."
Also in this episode, the trio discuss Ronnie O’Sullivan’s drop-off in form and the return of former UK Champion Zhao Xintong. Technology is the subject of choice in 1-4-Heaven/ Hell, we’ll hear your correspondence and there’s a big announcement ahead of this season’s Masters at Alexandra Palace!
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Fans can get in touch by emailing snookerclub@wst.tv and the best questions will be read out and answered on each episode.