O’Brien hammers Hendry
All set for a battle Royal in Lauren’s house
STEPHEN Hendry suffered an embarrassing whitewash defeat to fellow veteran Fergal O’Brien (pictured) in the Wuhan Open qualifiers yesterday.
Seven-time world champion Hendry (54) is in the fourth season of an underwhelming comeback to the sport that has seen him win just three times in 17 matches.
The world No120 was thrashed 4-0 by Ireland’s O’Brien (51) at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Hendry managed a high-break of just 25 in the match, while world No103 O’Brien — in his first ranking-event match against Hendry for 17 years — made breaks of 63 and 69.
Hendry only needed one snooker at the end trailing by 69 points with still 67 left on the table — but decided not to play on and conceded to O’Brien.
It was just a second match of the season for Hendry, who earlier in the campaign lost 4-2 to Mohammed Asif of Pakistan in the British Open qualifiers.
Victory
However victory was a huge boost for Dubliner O’Brien — who first played Hendry 30 years ago, losing 9-7 at the UK Championship.
O’Brien, having been a professional for 33 seasons, did fall off the tour last year — but battled back immediately to regain his spot on the circuit via Qualifying School to maintain an unbroken streak.
Meanwhile, former world champion Ken Doherty was on the wrong end of the same scoreline against talented Welsh youngster Jackson Page.
The 53-year-old Doherty, who has been a pro a year longer than O’Brien and is in his 34th season on tour, has hinted this could be his last season playing.
The world No76 enjoys his TV commentary and punditry work, and is a popular face on the exhibition and after-dinner circuit these days.
And he had no answer against Page, who comfortably completed a 4-0 win in Leicester.
Magee at the launch of the 2023 Beko Club Champion, an initiative open to all GAA clubs in Leinster
LAUREN MAGEE is bracing herself for the possibility of facing off against at least one sister in a Dublin-Meath clash.
Magee’s Dublin credentials are impeccable, having started out with Kilmacud Crokes and won five All-Irelands with the county that her father, Johnny (pictured), also represented.
But two of her younger sisters are attached to the DonaghmoreAshbourne club in Meath and so are coming up through the ranks in the Royal County.
The elder of the two, Eabha, has already represented Meath at minor level.
Lauren explained: “She’ll be eligible for senior next year so I don’t know what way she’ll do that. She’ll be going into her Leaving Cert so I don’t know whether that will work.
“I don’t know what way their system works in transition from minor to senior, but there could be [a chance of playing against each other]. My stepmam and my dad are panicking!”
Neasa is just 12 and very much blue-blooded, for now at least.
“She won’t put anything Meath on her. She plays for Donaghmore but she’s still talking about moving clubs to play for Dublin. I don’t know.
“Éabha kind of started a bit later and I think she just found her groove again.
Trials
“She went to trials and stuff like that, whereas Neasa has just been a die-hard Dublin fan since day dot and she’s like, ‘I’m not playing for Meath’.
“But we’ve spoken and it’s a thing where if she wants to play at the standard and she wants to still play for her club, which she loves, she might have to play for Meath. If she wants to continue playing county, she will.
“She’s a good footballer so it just depends on what she does when she gets a bit older. It’s a bit of craic in the house.
“I don’t think dad would ever have envisioned his kids playing for Meath but it is what it is. He wouldn’t be cheering them on unless they’re on the pitch, but it’s good. It’s a good rivalry.
“You don’t expect it to be as close to home, but it’s fun.”