Inside Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams’ bromance, from cue jibes to the pair enjoying a round of golf together

THEY are 2 of snooker's top - and steadfast friends.

Mark Williams cemented his name successful the athletics connected Sunday evening - beating Xiao Guodong successful the Champion of Champions final.

It's the archetypal clip the Welshman, who has 3 satellite titles to his name, has won the tournament.

Watching each the enactment arsenic a pundit for ITV Sport was seven-time satellite champion, Stephen Hendry.

The brace enjoyed a rivalry astatine the baize, which soon turned to affable banter successful their aboriginal years.

SunSport looks into their blossoming bromance.

'He's my hero'

Over the weekend, Williams disposed of Xiao 10-6 successful a pulsating Champion of Champions last successful Bolton.

And helium was gobsmacked by his performance.

"I can't judge it," Williams told ITV.

"I'm stood present conscionable astir to prime that trophy up and I don't cognize however I'm doing it really, but I'm sticking successful there.

"The interval came astatine the cleanable clip for maine due to the fact that if it carried on, helium was astir apt going to tally distant with it.

"I'm mislaid for words really. I'm implicit the moon."

Hendry was watching arsenic portion of ITV's punditry team, and helium was arsenic arsenic delighted for his pal.

He said: "He’s my hero, I person to accidental it.

"He is my champion mate connected circuit arsenic well, but what he’s doing astatine astir 50, however he’s playing and the mode helium plays with not a attraction successful the satellite it’s conscionable incredible, I emotion it."

Friendly banter

Despite making a immense alteration to his game, changing his cue recently, Williams was capable to triumph the Champion of Champions.

The Welsh Potting Machine had chosen to usage a marque caller cue successful the pb up to the tournament, contempt pushback connected the thought from Hendry.

And Williams couldn't defy taking a tongue-in-cheek swipe astatine seven-time satellite champ Hendry aft proving him incorrect by winning the Champion of Champions.

Speaking connected ITV4 aft his victory, helium said: " I had a caller cue, which I knew I was going to conflict with, I knew I was going to suffer 2 oregon 3 first-rounders.

"I wasn’t disquieted astir that due to the fact that I truly similar my caller cue and I knew it would travel good.

‘I’ve been getting slated by a batch of radical for changing cues, I’m not going to notation immoderate names Hendry, but it’s starting to travel alright present and each of a abrupt the cue is the champion happening I’ve ever had successful my hands."

In truth, Williams has struggled with the caller cue which helium changed aft helium reached the Saudi Arabia Masters final.

Previously, Hendry savaged Williams erstwhile helium was comfortably beaten 4-1 successful the archetypal circular astatine the British Open by Malaysia’s Rory Thoras successful September.

“It was a very, precise mediocre performance," Hendry said astatine the time.

"He’s utilizing a caller cue. I anticipation helium was paid nicely due to the fact that it’s going to derail his season. It’s going to instrumentality him a spot of getting utilized to. It sounded horrific and his play was horrific. It was very, precise bad."

Amusingly, Williams replied to the comments connected X: "Derail his season? What a tit, my play is already made."

If each other fails, enslaved implicit golf

If there's 1 happening some Williams and Hendry love, it's golf.

Williams said arsenic overmuch erstwhile speaking aft his triumph connected Sunday night.

He hilariously interrupted his triumph speech, by saying: "Let's spell and person a crippled of golf. Where's Stephen?"

The brace regularly bask a circular together, with Williams sharing snaps connected Instagram with the Scot connected respective courses.

According to Williams' Instagram, helium has besides played connected the 18th astatine the Celtic Manor resort, which is owned by Wales' archetypal billionaire Sir Terry Matthews.

Back successful 2019, Williams confessed that helium hates snooker and prefers golf.

Speaking aft beating Fraser Patrick 6-2 successful the UK Championship, helium revealed: "I truly struggled but someway helium struggled much than maine and made it casual for maine connected a mates of frames.

When helium was asked however helium felt his play was going, helium past quipped: "It's going alright, I'm enjoying myself erstwhile I'm connected the play course."

When pushed connected snooker, helium added: "Hate it. I'm conscionable enjoying play play more."

Maybe we'll spot a athletics crossover 1 day?