Stephen Hendry predicts surprise Champion of Champions results

Stephen Hendry is backing a few upsets at this season’s Champion of Champions, which gets underway on Monday in Leicester.

It is a non-ranking tournament played at the Mattioli Arena, but is still one of the most prestigious events in the game as it brings together the winners over the last 12 months.

The list of champions illustrates the level of the event, with recent winners including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, Mark Williams, Mark Allen and reigning champ Mark Selby.

O’Sullivan has qualified this year as the World Seniors champion, but Hendry does not expect the Rocket to add to his four Champion of Champions titles. In fact he thinks he will fall at the first hurdle when he faces Shaun Murphy on Wednesday.

‘It’s the sort of event O’Sullivan loves,’ Hendry wrote on CueTips+. ‘He’d have to play just three days, it’s one table, it’s the sort of tournament he’s called his own over the years. But has he got any form to bring to the Champion of Champions?

‘You can never write him off but I’m going for Murphy to beat him.’

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From Monday to Thursday a group is played each day, which sees two matches in the afternoon and the winners meeting in the evening to determine the group winner who moves into the semi-finals.

World champion Wu Yize and Chang Bingyu are also in the blockbuster group with O’Sullivan and Murphy on Wednesday and Hendry reckons the Magician will progress.

‘It’s very tough to call but I’m going for Wu in this one,’ the Scot said of Wu vs Chang. ‘If that happens it’ll be a repeat of the world final, and this time I’ll go for Murphy to win, 6-5.’

The seven-time world champion has tipped Mark Selby to come through his group on Monday and Kyren Wilson to progress on Thursday, ahead of world number one Zhao Xintong.

The 57-year-old also fancies Jak Jones to continue his superb season so far by beating Judd Trump and Neil Robertson in the same day.

‘I’m going for Jones,’ Hendry said of Tuesday’s group, which also features women’s world champion Panchaya Channoi. ‘He’s won two titles already this season and been in another final whereas Trump is a bit unpredictable at the minute.

‘It’s hard to go against Judd in events like this because he has a pretty good record in the Champion of Champions but I’m going to oppose him and have Jones to beat Robertson in the final.’

Jones had never won a ranking title before this season but the 33-year-old has now claimed two by triumphing at the Championship League and British Open.

Hendry didn’t go any further than picking his four semi-finalists, but if he’s right then we would see Selby vs Jones in a repeat of the British Open final in one semi and Murphy vs Wilson in the other.

The winner in Leicester on Sunday will not walk away with any ranking points, but will pocket £150,000.

Wilson comes into the event with incredible confidence after winning the last two events.

The Warrior won the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast and on Saturday he beat John Higgins to win the International Championship in Nanjing.

The 34-year-old has never won Champion of Champions, getting closest when he lost 10-9 to O’Sullivan in the 2018 final, but will fancy his chances more than ever in 2026.

ITV4 will be showing the action in the UK, with coverage starting at 12.45pm on Monday.

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