Hendry: "The cue looked like a shepherd's crook"

The world number two's cue, which was taken immediately to "cue doctor" Lawrie Annandale, was damaged on the way back from Bangkok on board a Thai Airways flight.

Equipment sports stars can't do without

Hendry, who has had the cue since he was 14, said: "As soon as we touched down in London they contacted me and said my cue had been damaged.

"They don't do that when it's just a scratch - so right away I feared the worst.

"When I eventually got my cue in Glasgow, the case was held together with tape - and the cue looked like a shepherd's crook!

"The butt-end is broken in two. I just don't know if it can be repaired but it's in the right hands now."

My good friend Mark Williams had his cue bent flying to Ireland earlier this year - and went on and won the world title Stephen Hendry Williams' cue woe

The Scot immediately took it to Annandale, who made several alterations to the cue three years ago.

"Lawrie reckons I could have it back by tomorrow at some time but I don't know how it will look or feel.

"My coach Terry Griffiths is also sending his cue up for me to try.

"I've had the cue since I was 14. It cost forty quid then, but I couldn't put a price on it now," he added.

Hendry, the most successful player of all-time, has won almost £8m in prize money alone.

Ever since the 11 September attacks, snooker players have been forced to put their cues in the hold of aircraft while flying.