Hunter in line for third Masters

PAUL HUNTER missed a 147 but still chalked up the highest break of this year’s Benson and Hedges Masters on his way to a 10th successive Wembley win.

Defending champion Hunter breezed into the last four after a 6-1 humbling of Stephen Lee at the Conference Centre yesterday.

“I thought I was awesome,” said the 24-year-old Yorkshireman, who is now within touching distance of becoming only the second player in 29 years to win three successive Masters.

“I suppose there is always room for improvement but I don’t know how,” added Hunter who finished with two centuries and four other half-centuries in his 93-minute stroll. “I just feel really at home playing here, though I still get a bit nervous when I walk up the stairs into the arena,” he said.

Hunter, who won the British Open title at Telford in November, stamped his authority on the match right from the start.

“Stephen had a chance in the opening frame and should have cleared up. But he missed it and I think that was a turning point. I had a good rhythm and got a bit of luck as well, which you always need,” he said.

However, Hunter was out of luck in the second frame when he potted his way to the verge of a 147 break in frame two. He knocked in 13 reds and 13 blacks before jawing the penultimate red, bridging over the pink.

“It was a rush of blood,” said the world number nine from Leeds. I should have used the spider and then I probably would have had a shot at the black.

“The main thing was I got the win,” added Hunter, who would have joined Canadian Kirk Stevens as the only player to have compiled Wembley maximums. He reached the interval 4-0 up before Lee avoided the whitewash with runs of 30 and 44. It was only temporary respite as Hunter finished off the game with breaks of 138 and 98 as Lee failed to pot a ball.

Hunter’s 138 takes the lead for a £22,000 high-break prize and easily topped the previous highest of 122 held by Australian Quinten Hann.

Hunter now meets the winner of today’s quarter-final between John Higgins and Mark Williams for a place in his third Masters final.

“The arena will be buzzing for Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White and I would fancy Stephen to win even though Jimmy pulled it out from nowhere against Peter Ebdon.”