Snooker: Victory for below-par Hendry

Stephen Hendry closed in on his first title for 11 months by reaching the semi-finals of the Benson and Hedges Masters last night with a solid 6-3 victory over Nigel Bond.

"I played well in patches but I'm still nowhere near peak form," said Hendry, describing his inconsistent display in which mistakes were mixed with periods of excellence.

"At times I felt good and I suppose it's reassuring to know that the right stuff is still there. At least I seem to be getting better with every match," added Hendry, who has failed to lift a trophy since last season's Benson and Hedges Irish Masters.

Much the same could be said of Ken Doherty, his next opponent, who reached the semi-finals with a 6-1 quarter-final victory over Thailand's James Wattana.