Wakelin aims to prove Hendry wrongpublished at 10:30 BST
10:30 BST
Wakelin 0-0 Robertson
Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,
Chris Wakelin (right) defeated 20-year-old Liam Pullen 10-6 in the first round
Following his victory over Liam Pullen, world number 13 Chris Wakelin said he was playing with a point to prove, singling out seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry as someone who criticises him.
“Someone who doesn’t rate me at all is Stephen Hendry,” said Wakelin, “Every single
players’ event, whenever I’m playing a match on TV he always says the other guy
is going to win. I laugh about it every time and it gives me a lot of pleasure
to just go out there and do my thing.
“He obviously doesn’t rate me at all because I’m not world number
one or world champion in the past, but it’s my job to go out there and
focus on my game. You’re always going to have critics in this sport as you do
in every sport so it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
“Even on his You Tube [channel] the other day, which I’m a big fan of and
watch it every week, he said he fancied Liam Pullen to beat me,
and in the next breath he said ‘I’ve never seen him play before’.
“I’ve got a massive
amount of respect for anyone who’s ever won a tournament in this game, it’s so
difficult. Stephen being a seven-time world champion, I’ve got nothing but
admiration for the guy but he clearly doesn’t think I’m any good.”