 Hendry last held pole position in the 1997/98 season |
Stephen Hendry will start next season as world number one despite making a first-round exit at the Crucible. The 37-year-old Scot lost his opener to Nigel Bond but none of his rivals could overturn his rankings lead.
Hendry, the 2005 Malta Cup winner, reached eight consecutive ranking event quarter-finals to regain the world number one spot he lost a decade ago.
New world champion Graeme Dott jumps to a career-high position of number six.
"It's not the way I would have liked to get to be world No 1, but the facts and figures don't lie and I'm delighted," said Hendry.
"It's a real achievement because I dropped down as far as No 6 at one point. Over the last three years I've worked really hard to get back up there."
Ken Doherty climbs nine places to number two while Ronnie O'Sullivan slips from first to third and John Higgins makes up the top four.
Last year's World Champion Shaun Murphy leaps 16 places to fifth while Ali Carter, Barry Hawkins and Neil Robertson also enter the top 16.
MMIX
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If anyone should be no.1 it should be John Higgins as he has won 2 major titles this season