Hendry left sweating on Murphy result after shock defeat - 19/11/2009

MARCO FU 5-1 STEPHEN HENDRY (BEST OF 6)
Fu's scores first
64-40, 70-25 (Fu 70), 14-72 (Hendry 33, 39), 98-15 (Fu 37, 45), 71-15 (Fu 48), 128-11 (Fu 122)

STEPHEN Hendry's hopes of claiming a semi-final spot were left hanging by a thread after a shock 5-1 defeat against bottom-placed Marco Fu.

Seven-time World Champion Hendry, who made a number of errors and recorded his highest break of only 39, was left sweating on the outcome of the Judd Trump versus Shaun Murphy match.

The only way Hendry could now advance into the final four is if Murphy lost 6-0, although no match in this year's competition had so far ended in a whitewash result.

A victory for Hendry would have taken him into the play-offs, while a 6-0 defeat would see him eliminated.

Hendry's opponent at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales, was Marco Fu, who had endured a miserable campaign picking up only one point from his first five matches. But with £1,000 for every frame won there was still a big incentive for Fu to perform at his best.

Hendry made a shocking start as he lost a poor-quality opening frame. Missed pots on a pink, a blue and two reds proved costly as Fu edged into a lead. The man from Hong Kong then doubled his advantage thanks to a break of 70 in the second.

Any frame Hendry won in this match would give him more chance of qualifying and he would have been relieved to claim the third frame after breaks of 33 and 39. It meant Hendry still had the smallest chance of qualifying but he would be hoping Shaun Murphy would not win a frame in his later match against Judd Trump.

Fu ensured Hendry would not be claiming the victory he needed as he took the fourth frame thanks to scores of 37 and 45.

An unfortunate foul for Hendry when he potted the black proved the turning point in the fifth as Fu capitalised with a break of 48 to claim his first and only victory of this year's Premier League.

It also meant defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, who was competing in the tournament for the first time, were guaranteed places in the last four.

It had been a miserable competition for Fu but it ended in style as he claimed his only century break of the event with a run of 122 in the last to pick up an extra thousand pound bonus.