Stephen Hendry praises ‘cool as a cucumber’ Fan Zhengyi for nerveless finish to land win over Neil Robertson

Stephen Hendry praised Fan Zhengyi for being “cool as a cucumber” in his 4-3 win over Neil Robertson in the Champion of Champions.

The 21-year-old Chinese player was the underdog going into the first match of three on Tuesday in Bolton, and was trailing 3-2 in the best of seven.

Under pressure and just one frame from defeat, Fan pulled out one break of 94 and another of 98 in back-to-back frames that secured him a 4-3 comeback win and took him into Tuesday night’s group final with a chance to qualify for the weekend’s action.

Fan will play Ryan Day after the Welshman pulled off his own upset victory as he beat Kyren Wilson 4-3 in the day’s second game ahead of the evening final.

Hendry, a former world champion and world No. 1, told ITV4 that while other players might have more quality than Fan in some areas of their game, the youngster’s nerveless display at the death was impressive.

“Other players have better touch,” Hendry said, “[But] to be able to produce that kind of snooker when he did, as he did against Ronnie O’Sullivan [in the final of the European Masters earlier in the year], his composure – he raised the pace of his game – he just looked cool as a cucumber.

“He didn’t look like missing.

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“Did he look nervous? No sign of that.”