Match Reports from the 888.com World Snooker Championship
Unstoppable Carter
Stephen Hendry 6 – 13 Ali Carter
Stephen Hendry briefly threatened an improbable comeback, but Ali Carter was content to bide his time to complete an excellent win.
Hendry was second best for the first two sessions, reflected by the 12-4 scoreline. He came out in the third prepared to play some shots, and for a time it paid dividends.
Solid breaks took the first two frames, but the world number one was still six frames behind and only prolonging the inevitable.
Sure enough, a missed red to the left middle let Carter in, and he finished the job in two visits to deservedly make his first quarter-final at the Crucible.
Afterwards Carter said the win was a good one, but not the best of his career.
“I was confident with the way I was playing,” he said. “It’s about time I started playing the way I know can do.
“I enjoyed being out there, but I’m not thinking about winning the tournament, just about good performances.”
A philosophical Hendry looked tired after the defeat.
“It’s the story of my season really, for some reason I can’t reproduce my form in practice. I can’t seem to cue with the same freedom, and therefore can’t play my natural game,” he said.
“I thought Ali’s performance was fantastic. Every safety he played seemed to put me in the most awkward place. I just hope he does himself justice for the rest of the tournament.”
