STEPHEN HENDRY'S 6-1 defeat of Brian Morgan to reach the quarter-finals of the Benson & Hedges Masters at Wembley Conference Centre featured six breaks over 60 - the last of which could so very nearly have won him a limited-edition Peugeot 806 to god with the Bentley, the Ferrari and the Skoda which 147 breaks and similar feats have already earned him.
After sinking 10 reds and 10 blacks in the seventh frame, Hendry had to take the cue-ball in and out of baulk in potting his 11th red to maintain his seemingly-inevitable progress towards the fifth maximum of his career.
"But for the kiss on the brown I'd have been perfect on the black," said the Scot ruefully after he had fractionally undercut an awkward shot on the black, which stopped his break dead in its tracks at 81. "The table was extremely fast and I had to try and roll it in quietly to hold on my next red."
Morgan won yesterday's opening frame and had two chances to clear up for 2-2 after Hendry had gone into the lead with a run of 65. Tension took its toll on Morgan, though, as he twice ran out of position and Hendry eventually potted a long black to lead 3-1.
Morgan scored only eight points in the three remaining frames as Hendry added frame-winning breaks of 69 and 71 to the efforts of 70 and 66 which had helped him win the second and third frames to lead 5-1 before the failed maximum attempt.
Steve Davis, making a record 7th consecutive appearance in the Masters, battled past midnight - for four hours and 40 minutes - to beat Alan McManus 6-4 and book a quarter-final place.
After accounting for the first frame with a 97-break and moving 2-0 ahead, David trailed 4-3 as McManus threatened to take control by compiling a run of 90 in the seventh.
But it was to be the Scot's last success of a dour contest as Davis kept things tight and won the next three frames to advance.
Davis was delighted with his win: "Alan is easily the best player I've beaten in a tournament all season," he said. "There were times out there when for the first time in ages I actually began to feel like a snooker player again."
Hendry faces a quarter-final tomorrow evening against O'Sullivan.
