Hendry on song at Welsh Open

Stephen Hendry knocked countryman and practice partner Stephen Maguire out of the £225,000 Welsh Open yesterday, edging into the last 16 with a 5-4 win.

Three-time winner Hendry found himself in the unfamiliar role of outsider with bookmakers after Maguire’s impressive victory in the UK Championships in November.

The 36-year-old former world champion responded in style to inflict only Maguire’s third defeat in 19 ranking event matches this season.

The first meeting in competition between the pair went down to the wire and Hendry, strongly motivated from the word go, held his nerve with a 69 break after Maguire had failed to sink a do-or-die red early in the all-important ninth frame.

Hendry was not the only former Crucible king to advance. John Parrott, now 40, joined him in the last 16 with a hard fought 5-2 victory over Chris Small.

Parrott’s next opposition will be supplied by Romford left-hander Mark King, who piled on the misery for struggling world number six Matthew Stevens with a 5-4 success.