SHEFFIELD (England), April 25 Seven-time winner Stephen Hendry ended China`s Ding Junhui`s World Snooker Championship hopes on Friday with a 13-10 win to book a quarter-final place.
Ten years after his last world title triumph, the 40-year-old Hendry won five of seven frames from 8-8 to secure victory and reach the last eight for the 18th time in his career.
Hendry said “It was a fantastic match and I`m delighted to win and I`m delighted by how I played throughout the match, especially tonight. I came out and it was as good as I`ve played this season.
“There`s no doubt that when Ding is in the balls and break-building he`s as good as anyone that has ever played, so it`s a fantastic win for me.”
The first two sessions were memorable with both players registering century breaks before Hendry dominated the evening session.
He took the opening three frames with a 140 total clearance in the second of the evening to match Ronnie O`Sullivan`s break in the first round against Stuart Bingham, putting the pair on course to share the 10,000-pound top-break prize unless any player goes higher.
Hendry then followed that up with 86 in the next frame, and suddenly he was two frames away from victory. He also had chances in the next frame, the 20th of the match, but Ding temporarily halted the victory charge and reduced Hendry`s lead to two frames.The pair had met at the same stage last year, with Hendry triumphing 13-7, however it had been a closer fight from the start this time.
Ding, 22, needed to win the first frame after their short break but it went Hendry`s way thanks to a 51 break, and the winning line was in sight.
A defiant 121 break from Ding followed, and he looked set for another frame when he went 62-5 ahead in the next. Hendry cut that to 62-43 with a rapid 38 break, before laying a snooker behind the black.
Ding missed with his first effort, and left Hendry a sitter with the next.
Needing no second invitation, Hendry cleared up to secure his last-eight place.
Results
Second round (best of 25 frames)
Stephen Hendry (Scotland) bt Ding Junhui (China) 13-10.
Ronnie O`Sullivan (England) leads Mark Allen (Northern Ireland) 9-7; Shaun Murphy (England) leads Marco Fu (Hong Kong) 7-1; Ryan Day (Wales) leads Nigel Bond (England) 11-5.—AFP
