Quotes from Stephen Hendry

The crowd could be tough to deal with at times, but I learned to use them and the way they behaved towards me as strong motivation.

You cannot underestimate the body blow for a snooker player of having your cue broken. After all, it's an extension to your arm.

One of my biggest sponsors is based in China, and I probably spend as much time there as I do in the U.K. Over the years, I have really grown to love it, but the first time I went was a different story.

I think the word 'yips' trivialises it; it is completely debilitating, like a cancer spreading through your game and just destroying it.

I loved being the best player in the world. There was no pressure staying there.

In around 2000, I became aware of a recurring problem of the 'tightness' around my cueing action, which somehow stops me believing that I can play the shot - even shots I could previously play with my eyes shut.

Even when I used to play Jimmy White in Scotland, he would have the majority of the support. That's the only time it would irk me, coming back to Scotland and people still wanting me to lose.

I have always really loved clothes, although I am glad to say that my tastes have mellowed somewhat over the years. When I first played professionally and started to earn big money, almost everything I bought was by Versace.

By the age of 14, I had stopped doing homework and stopped studying - as soon as I had any spare time, I was up to the local snooker club. I was fortunate my parents never forced me to stop playing snooker and told me to carry on at school. Nowadays, that probably isn't the best advice. I basically had nothing else to fall back on.

In any sport at the top level, if you don't put in the hard work, you can be sure someone else is. It is a vicious circle.

Larry David, he's my hero. I want to be him - I want to act like him - everything.

I always loved playing in front of big audiences; now I'm jittery if one person is in the room watching me.