Chris Wakelin took a post-victory dig at long-standing critic and BBC pundit Stephen Hendry. The No.13 seed says he could be first in line to congratulate Ronnie O’Sullivan ought to he clinch an eighth World Championship title to surpass the Scot within the snooker file books.
Wakelin defeated Liam Pullen to advance into spherical two, a end result that introduced explicit satisfaction to the 34-year-old after as soon as once more feeling unfairly written off by the seven-time Crucible king. The English star mentioned: “Someone who doesn’t rate me at all is Stephen Hendry. Even on his Youtube the other day, which I’m a big fan of and watch it every week, he said on there that he fancied Liam to beat me, and in the next breath he said I’ve never seen him play before. Whatever.
“When I performed him a number of years in the past [British Open qualifiers in 2021] everybody was ringing me up earlier than and saying: Oh you are enjoying him, he is come again.
“I thought I’d have a little dig so when they asked me: Are you looking forward to playing a seven-time world champion and legend? I said I was a bit young to remember when he was at his best, but my mum was a huge fan! And then he beat me!
“He clearly does not charge me in any respect as a result of I’m not World No.1 or World Champion or World Champion prior to now, however it’s my job simply to go out there and deal with my recreation.
“I’ve got a massive amount of respect for anyone who’s ever won a tournament in this game, it’s so difficult. Stephen being a seven-time world champion, I’ve got nothing but admiration for the guy. But he clearly doesn’t think I’m any good.
“Every single gamers’ occasion, every time I’m enjoying a match on TV, he at all times says the opposite man goes to win. I snort about it each time and it provides me a variety of pleasure to simply go out there and do my factor.
“You’re always going to have critics in this sport as you do in every sport, so it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”
Hendry and O’Sullivan are stage on seven World titles apiece and, with the Scot having hung up his cue, The Rocket has the possibility to consign him to the historical past books.
Wakelin believes he would relish that second, saying with a smile: “Oh yeah, just to see his face at the end. They’ll definitely stick him on commentary for the final session of the final.
“It will likely be a very long time coming and it will be fairly humorous. I’d be on the entrance of the queue to congratulate Ronnie.”
