Hendry moves into the top four for first time - 06/11/2008

STEPHEN Hendry moved into the top four of the PartyPoker.com Premier League Snooker for the first time this season.

But his 5-1 victory over Steve Davis means the six-time World Champion cannot join Hendry in the play-offs at the end of the league phase.

"It's certainly looking better than it did three weeks ago and I've given myself a chance," said Hendry. "But even if I win my last two matches it still might not be enough.

"I could've played better as I missed some shots including two reds in exactly the same way but I played some good safeties. I'm delighted with the win, that's what I came for and that's what I got."

Hendry had recorded his first victory last weekend by defeating John Higgins and would have been confident of triumphing over Davis, who had suffered three successive defeats before this match.

The opening frame in the second match at the Newport Centre was a scrappy one which Hendry, who has won the World Championship seven times himself, looked to have thrown away when he missed the pink for the match. But Davis could not capitalise as the Scot won by 54-37.

Some of the finest play in the match came in the second frame when Hendry's 78 break moved him two ahead before Davis clawed one back by winning only his third frame of this season's competition.

Hendry claimed the victory after a scrappy and error-strewn fourth before a run of 72 in the fifth inflicted more pain on a struggling Davis.

His misfortune was summed up in the last when he moved 37 points ahead but could not finish off the frame and Hendry jumped in with a score of 86 to seal a 5-1 success.

Stephen Hendry 5-1 Steve Davis
54-37, 84-0 (Hendry 78), 54-75 (Hendry 44, Davis 39), 75-48, 78-36 (Hendry 72), 86-37 (Hendry 86)