Hendry has close call in motorway crash
Three vehicles, including a loose trailer and a minibus, caused major disruption on the M25 motorway, and 31-year-old Hendry’s Mercedes would have been part of the collision if Carroll hadn’t steered the duo out of trouble.
They were motoring along the outside lane when the minibus was struck by the trailer that had worked free from an articulated lorry.
”We were behind the minibus, which had no room to manoeuvre to avoid the collision” said Carroll.
”Thankfully, we managed to weave our way free from the debris, but it was a terrifying moment. We were lucky that a gap opened up when it did, otherwise we might not have been able to avoid the problem.”
Carroll, operations manager for the Stirling-based Cuemaster stable, then telephoned the emergency services to report the accident.
Hendry was returning from a personal appearance at a school
in Bishops’ Stortford when his journey was disrupted.
Despite the scare the seven times world champion was back at the practice table yesterday preparing for his next match in the Benson and Hedges Masters.
He returns to the table at
Wembley Conference Centre this evening, where Ken Doherty stands between him and the semi-finals of the #615,000 tournament.
Hendry was in scintillating form during his opening win over Englishman Mark King on Wednesday night, compiling one century break and five other frame winning contributions of 50 or more.
Doherty though has achieved the best result of the competition so far, whitewashing newcomer Ally Carter 6-0 to qualify for the last eight. And it was Carter who ended Hendry’s interest in the Grand Prix at Preston last October.
Doherty defeated Hendry to win the world title in 1997, but the world No.2 from Auchterarder generally has an excellent record against the 30-year-old Dubliner.
The first player to reach the semi-finals last night was 22-year-old Welshman Matthew Stevens, and that was bad news for Jimmy White and his supporters.
Stevens, responsible for the second round demise of Glaswegian Alan McManus last Sunday, won comfortably 6-3.
However, at one stage the world No.9 from Carmarthen was on course for a 6-0 scoreline.
He was 5-0 up with White struggling badly for confidence before the 1984 champion saved face.
In fact, White won three in a row to give his talented opponents an attack of the jitters.
A White victory would have been a travesty and Stevens took frame nine with a break of 64 – the highest by either player in what was a disappointing contest.
White explained after defeating title holder John Higgins that he would spend his day off bedding in a new cue-tip.
He failed to resolve his problem in time and undertook emergency repairs during the mid-session interval. ”I didn’t know what I was doing and it was a terrible feeling” said the 37-year-old
Londoner.
”My biggest mistake was
coming into the tournament without fixing the tip there and then.
”I couldn’t hold the cue ball for any positional shots. My confidence is in and out anyway and this just did me in completely.
”The only way I can describe it is that it is like a golfer having the head of his putter fall off.”
White should have won frame four, but missed the final black of the frame and his fragile mental state manifested itself in frame five.
Referee Alan Chamberlain called the Whirlwind for a foul after he incorrectly placed the white outside the D following a Stevens foul.
”I could see Jimmy was struggling with his cue, but I was
getting a little worried” agreed the 1999 UK runner up.
”Perhaps I just took things too lightly, because I just missed a couple of silly balls to win 6-0.”
The tournament lost its second crowd favourite of the day when Ronnie O’Sullivan was beaten 6-3 by John Parrot.
Parrot has not gone beyond the last 32 of any ranking tournament this season, but he is now just two wins away from a #165,000 first prize and the one major trophy missing from his collection.
Parrot won three frames in a row after O’Sullivan had fought back from 3-1 down to level at 3-3. ”If you show any sign of weakness Ronnie will suss you out so I’m pleased with how well I competed,” said Parrot.