Snooker: Shanghai surprise for Hendry

Snooker: Shanghai surprise for Hendry

Billy Snaddon, who has for several years been Stephen Hendry's principal sparring partner, beat the six-times world champion 6-2 and will play John Higgins in today's final of the China International in Shanghai, writes Clive Everton. Snaddon, the world No 32, reached his first ranking quarter-final, the Irish Open, in December, and had beaten three other members of the top 16 this week - James Wattana, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Lee. In what proved to be the crucial seventh frame, with Snaddon leading 4-2, the score was only 15-15 after 14 reds had been potted but Hendry unluckily went in-off the last to give Snaddon a three-frame lead. On a day when Scotland provided all four semi- finalists, Higgins beat Alan McManus 6-4, thereby reversing his 5-4 defeat in their quarter-final of the Thailand Masters last week.