Stephen Hendry’s return ‘will be fascinating’, says John Higgins

John Higgins taking on Stephen Hendry in 2008

Stephen Hendry’s return to snooker after nine years will be “fascinating”, says four-time world champion John Higgins.

Hendry, who won the World Championship seven times in the 1990s but retired in 2012, will play in this week’s Gibraltar Open.

The 52-year-old faces England’s Matthew Selt on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT.

Fellow Scot Higgins, 45, described Hendry as “one of the best players ever to pick up a cue”.

He added: “I saw him in the practice room and he was there for three hours. Fair play to him after all these years and he’s still got the hunger to put the work in.

“It might have done him the world of good – an eight- or nine-year break and then he might come back totally refreshed. It’s going to be fascinating.”

‘Why not have a go?’ – analysis

Former Masters champion and BBC pundit Alan McManus on Radio Scotland

He should’ve come back a few years ago, but it was put on the back burner. So why not get the cue out and have a go? I’m not going to say its through boredom but it’s given him something to focus on.

He looks completely different as a player. That’s going to be the difficulty – trying to find the rhythm of old.