O'Sullivan loses for the first time since January 2005 - 13/09/2007

Ronnie O'Sullivan 2-4 Stephen Hendry
O'Sullivan's scores first
52-66 (O'Sullivan 51, Hendry 32), 98-1 (O'Sullivan 98), 0-104 (Hendry 78), 52-79 (O'Sullivan 52, Hendry 39), 0-95 (Hendry 54, 30), 105-6 (O'Sullivan 101).

RONNIE O'Sullivan has suffered his first Premier League Snooker defeat in 32 months.

O'Sullivan lost to Stephen Hendry to end an unbeaten spell of 24 matches (18 wins and six draws), a run that had gone back to January 2005 when he was beaten by Jimmy White.

"It was quite hard to control the white ball but I'm delighted with a win in my first match," said Hendry (pictured right).

"Ronnie played a careless shot when he went in-off the blue (in the fourth frame) but these things happen and fortunately I was able to pot the blue and win the frame.

"The tournament is not only about Ronnie. There are seven good players in it and you have to get six good results, not just one against Ronnie. I have to win at least three more matches to get through to the semi-finals."

This was O'Sullivan's second match of the tournament after he recorded a convincing 5-1 victory against reigning World Champion John Higgins at Haywards Heath last week.

However, in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports presenter Dave Clark, O'Sullivan revealed that he had not been happy with his performance when he had watched a rerun on video.

But he would again have to play well as his opponent in Great Malvern, Worcestershire was seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry.

The Scot stole the opening frame after O'Sullivan went in-off while on 51 and that handed Hendry a 1-0 lead. But that only lasted for less than ten minutes as The Rocket raced to a break of 98.

However, he missed a brown off the spot that would have seen him collect another £1,000 for a century break, which would have also have been his second of the tournament.

Hendry suffered a poor Premier League campaign in 2006 as he failed to make the play-offs but was making a better start this year as he regained the lead thanks to a break of 78.

Both players had chances in the fourth but it eventually went the Scotsman's way after O'Sullivan twice fouled with only three balls remaining.

In the fifth Hendry raced into a 65-point lead, although he missed a potentially frame-winning ball with an unlucky kick on the decisive black. It did not prove crucial as he inflicted a rare defeat on O'Sulliva.

The last word went to the Rocket as he stormed through the balls to make a break of 101, and earn a £1,000 bonus in doing so, with the last ball sunk only four minutes and 50 seconds after his first.