Stephen Hendry’s quest for World Seniors Snooker Championship glory did not get beyond the first round in Scunthorpe as he was defeated by Jonathan Bagley. The top seed and seven-time world champion was ousted 3-1 by Englishman Bagley, who has been a permanent fixture in these events for years and was the runner-up to Steve Davis in the Seniors Irish Masters a couple of months ago at Goffs.
Hendry had come into the 16-man event hoping to claim his first title since he retired from the sport as a professional just shy of six years ago. Victory in Scunthorpe would have sent Hendry through to the World Snooker Championship qualifiers in Sheffield, with just three additional victories standing between the 49-year-old Scot and a dream return to his old stomping ground at the Crucible next month. But it was not to be as in-form Bagley ran out a comfortable victor. Hendry wasn’t alone in feeling the early blues as fellow former world champions Cliff Thorburn, Dennis Taylor and Joe Johnson, as well as former world number two Tony Knowles, all succumbed to first-round losses. It means there are no seeded players going into the quarter-finals while Bagley will now face Gary Filtness, who came through against Barry Pinches following a re-spotted black.
Welshman Rhydian Richards get a pairing with Northern Ireland’s Patrick Wallace, having disposed of Johnson 3-0, while China’s Cao Kaisheng tackles Nick Spelman, who also needed a re-spotted black in overcoming Thorburn. Ireland’s John Farrell faces Aaron Canavan in the final quarter-final, with the Jersey potter too strong for Taylor in the last 16.