Sickening loss for Hendry

Stephen Hendry was feeling sick in more ways than one after departing the Malta Cup.

The seven-time world champion went down 5-4 to Ali Carter – hours after a local doctor had visited his hotel room in the palatial Portomaso Hilton and diagnosed a bout of gastroenteritis.

“There were times this morning when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play but the doctor gave me an injection that stopped me feeling quite so bad and I decided to give it a go,” said Hendry.

“It was a difficult match to play but there are no excuses. I did well enough to win four frames so I can’t really complain about not winning five. Ali played a better decider than me.”

Hendry, who revealed a chicken and prawn meal at a nearby Indian restaurant outside the hotel last night was suspected to be a possible cause, added: “It’s really disappointing.

“I was all right when I was at the table because playing took my mind off what was wrong but it wasn’t good when I was sitting in my chair.

“After about five o’clock this morning I didn’t get any sleep.”

Hendry, sweating and feeling weak on arrival at the venue, was given special dispensation to play the match in an open necked shirt rather than wear the normally compulsory bow tie.

He shaded both of the first two frames on the blue and with a 64 break in the seventh, launched by a fluke, led 4-3.

But Carter, who knew of his opponent’s tummy trouble before the contest, drew level with a run of 54 and built a 49-point advantage in the decider before missing a blue to a middle pocket.

Hendry had the opportunity to steal it but, having replied with only 15, missed a red across the top cushion and did not get another shot.

Carter compounded Hendry’s thoroughly miserable day with a 30 break and will now face Shaun Murphy in the last four.

It will be Carter’s second appearance in the semi-finals of a world ranking event, the first coming at the 1999 Grand Prix in Preston.

“I was aware that Stephen wasn’t feeling too clever but I knew that he would still be tough to beat – beware the wounded animal and all that,” said Carter.

“I’m pleased I showed the character to come back from 4-3 down.”

A far more safety-conscious Murphy advanced with a 5-2 victory over Graeme Dott, the player who last year succeeded him as holder of the world title.

As a relative unknown Murphy was crowned king of the Crucible in 2005 but has not won a tournament since as, time and again, his policy of all-out attack has come unstuck.

“I’ve come to realise that I’ve got to change my game,” said Murphy.

“When I watch the DVD of me winning the World Championship I’m horrified with some of the shots I took on.

“That approach worked great for those two weeks but too many painful defeats since have caused a re-think.

“You’ve got to be humble and accept that you need help. I’ve got that help from John Higgins, Willie Thorne and Dennis Taylor and now I feel a much more all round player.”

Murphy, who recovered from 4-2 down to beat Ricky Walden 5-4 in the first round and rallied from 4-3 adrift to edge Stephen Lee 5-4 in the last 16, again had to rely on his fighting qualities.

Dott took the first two frames but after getting on the board by battling through a scrappy third, Murphy began to flow.

Helped by breaks of 32 twice, 55 and a 134 total clearance, Murphy prevented Dott from potting a single ball in the next two frames and did not take his foot off the pedal.

Additional runs of 58 and 86 put the icing on his five frame winning streak and left Dott with no complaints.

“I was beaten by the better player. Shaun fully deserved to win and if he carries on playing like that he’s got a good chance of going all the way here,” said Dott.

“Shaun’s got such a good, powerful cue action that he can cope with any kind of conditions but I struggle on slow tables and I just couldn’t control the pace. I feel like I’ve got to whack everything.”