Snooker chiefs were blasted after Stephen Hendry 's opponent was given a bye following the Scot's withdrawal from UK Championship qualifying.
Seven-time world champion Hendry was scheduled to play Welshman Andrew Pagett in the first qualifying round for the Triple Crown event on Saturday. But he has now pulled out citing punditry commitments as he is part of the ITV team at this week's prestigious Champion of Champions tournament in Bolton.
“Just a quick explanation as to why I had to pull out of UK qualifier," Hendry wrote on Twitter. “They scheduled my matches for this weekend when I’m working at the COC for ITV." Hendry's latest absence has frustrated some fans who believe the Scot is not taking advantage of being offered a second wildcard by snooker bosses.
The 53-year-old, the youngest ever Crucible winner, has lost on both of his outings in qualifiers this year and his competitive comeback has fallen completely flat. But another bone of contention amid Hendry's withdrawal was World Snooker's decision to offer his opponent Pagett a bye into the next round of qualifying in Sheffield.
Pagett is now a step closer to the Barbican in York after going through to the next round, where he will face Chinese youngster Xu Si. It is commonplace for World Snooker to bring in a top-up player if there is a withdrawal in most of their events, but the nature of the tiered UK Championship system means a bye was preferred on this occasion.
That has angered players who could have been in line to take Hendry's place, including top amateur Steven Hallworth, who is furious about World Snooker's tour's 'disgusting' call.
"How disgusting is this @WeAreWST when there are hungry players like myself chomping at the bit to get in these tournaments now, missing out by 2 places from the order of merit. Shambles," Hallworth tweeted.
World Snooker Tour rules state that: "If a player withdraws from this event after the draw, but before playing their first scheduled match, due to the tiered structure of the event they will not be replaced and their opponent will receive a bye into the next round."
That has not deterred Hallworth, who is desperate for opportunities to make his mark in the sport after dropping off the professional circuit last year.
"I backed myself with money and time to finish high up on order of merit to warrant invites to comps," he added. "Practise 8 hours a day UNPAID to read they are giving walkovers when I’m hungry to play in anything and everything."
