O'Sullivan and Hendry deadlocked

Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan will continue their ‘grudge’ World Championship semi final match tomorrow deadlocked at 12 12.

The match resumes at 2.30pm on Saturday after a terrific second session tonight, with O’Sullivan grabbing the last two frames to level the best of 33 match.

Earlier Stephen Hendry missed out on the magic 147 for the second time in four days after being distracted by mobile phones during his Embassy World Championship semi-final with Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible Theatre.

The seven-times world champion had broken down when in sight of the maximum break and the £147,000 jackpot in his quarter-final against Ken Doherty on Tuesday when he failed to pot the 15th black.

And he suffered the same scenario in the opening frame the 17th of the evening session with O’Sullivan.

Hendry looked a certainty to complete his second 147 at the Crucible despite the interruptions from the phones which twice led referee Eirian Williams to deliver a warning to the audience.

The Scot had to re-compose himself, although there was no such apparent distraction when he over-cut the 15th black.

But that did not stop World Snooker official Mike Ganley from entering the auditorium and warning spectators that they would be thrown out if their mobile phones went off again during play.

Hendry could hardly conceal his disappointment after coming so close yet again to the famous milestone.

One spectator said: ‘‘It seemed like there was a cathedral-like silence whenever Ronnie was at the table.

‘‘But it was a different story when Stephen was playing. There were strange noises and phones going off. Something was happening out there.

‘‘The phones went off twice just before he missed that final black when the break was on 104 and 105.

In the other semi-final Peter Ebdon leads Matthew Stevens 9-7. The match restarts at 10am on Saturday.