Joe Johnson has rediscovered the taste for success in big-time snooker.
And the 1986 World Champion has Stephen Hendry in his sights when the two legends clash in the World Seniors Championship on Saturday.
Joe hopes a new sponsorship deal with Akbar’s curry restaurants will give him the fire he needs to shock his Scottish opponent.
He says: “Stephen has said he doesn’t think he can win this tournament, but I’m not falling for that. He plays the Legends Tour and is still very much a force to be reckoned with.
“He’s a seven-times World Champion and has only been retired for a year. He was a winner during his career and he’ll want to win this one.
“I discovered how hard he fights when I first faced him in 1987. I was defending World Champion and took an 8-1 lead over this young newcomer. He fought back to make it 12-12 before I took the deciding frame.
“Although he might say he’s not practicing, I’m sure he’ll have picked up the cue and hit a few balls. “Stephen is the best there’s ever been in snooker, and his addition to the Seniors gives the tournament a fresh angle.
“He got a 147 against Stuart Bingham in his last appearance at The Crucible in 2012. You don’t lose that sort of ability in a short time.
“It certainly means that I have a tough task to get past the first round. But the matches are best of three frames so I have a fighting chance of getting one over him.”
Joe, famous for being the 150-1 outsider who beat Steve Davis to became World Champion, is pleased with the form he’s showing going into the Championships.
He went on: “I’ve hit two maximum breaks this year. Over the last two weeks, I’ve spent every waking moment thinking about competing at the Seniors.
“It’s a great thrill to be back involved in a big televised tournament rather than commentating on one.”
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