Snooker: I know I've still got it - Hendry

Stephen Hendry pulled off a trademark great escape at the Thailand Masters in Bangkok tonight and then denied 18 months without a world ranking title has become a source of growing pressure.

The Scot, who has not lifted a ranking trophy since the British Open of September 1999, edged his way into the last 16 of the £282,000 tournament with a cliffhanging 5-4 victory over Anthony Davies, a journeyman pro from Barry, South Wales.

"Of course I want to win but to be perfectly honest it’s not eating away at me or doing my brains in," insisted the seven-time world champion.

And Hendry, who fired in a 147 en route to winning the invitation Rothmans Malta Grand Prix just a fortnight ago, added: "I know I’m still more than capable and that’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned. I’d have to consider packing up if I wasn’t.

"I said after I won at the Crucible for the seventh time that I’d got nothing to prove, even if I never got my hands on another trophy again. I still think that."

Davies, the world number 40, unexpectedly recovered from the loss of the opening frame to lead 3-1 and suggest that a major shock could well be on the cards.

Hendry, winner of the event in 1989 and again in 1998, bounced back after the mid-session interval to tie the scores at 3-3 with runs of 70, 34 and 40 before Davies renewed his giant-killing hopes by claiming frame seven with a 53 break.

But he totalled only eight points in the closing two frames as cool Hendry controlled the eighth frame and crossed the line with a run of 69 direct from a top-quality long red.

"I’ve done that kind of thing plenty of times before and it’s nice to know it’s still there," smiled Hendry, who now faces Dubliner Michael Judge for a quarter-final spot.

While Hendry got the better of a nail-biter there was another crushing disappointment for the fallen hero of Thai snooker, James Wattana.

Wattana, a national sporting hero after winning the Thailand Open back-to-back in 1994 and 1995, suffered a surprise 5-4 defeat at the hands of world number 92 Mike Dunn from Redcar.

Dunn, making his first overseas trip in 10 years on the pro-circuit, not to mention his debut in front of the television cameras, fell 2-0 and 3-1 behind but Wattana, now in danger of being relegated from the world’s top 32 players at the end of the season, became more ragged as the contest progressed.