23/03/00: Stephen Hendry made a winning start to his bid for a fourth Benson and Hedges Irish Masters title by defeating Alan McManus 6-2 at Goffs in County Kildare.

Hendry, champion in 1992, 1997 and again last year, failed to produce his very best form but was solid enough to book a semi-final meeting with John Parrott on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm generally playing very well at the moment but I missed too many easy balls through unforced errors," said Hendry.

"However, I was always in front in the match and that's a nice position to be in. I felt as if I was going to score heavily whenever I got in, so overall I'm very happy."

Hendry made a break of 80 to lead 3-1 but McManus took the deficit to 3-2 with a run of 65.[QL ] The key frame proved to be the sixth when Hendry benefited from an outrageous fluke on a red after McManus had laid two perfect snookers.

Hendry cleared up with 55 and limited McManus to only one further point in the rest of the match as he fired in breaks of 88 and 63 to complete his fifth successive win over his fellow Scot.

"The fluke was definitely the turning point," said Hendry. "When I cleared up it knocked the stuffing out of Alan."

Hendry's only disappointment was that he could not add to his cache of 497 centuries as he chases the magic 500 before the end of the week.

He said: "I'm thinking about the 500 every time I'm on a century but it won't put me off. If anything it will keep my concentration going."

McManus, who reached the last eight by beating Dubliner Fergal O'Brien 6-4 in the first round, has not beaten Hendry since the quarter-finals of the 1996 Scottish Masters.

He said: "Everyone knows how good Stephen is and if you give him a chance you are going to suffer."

Mark Williams had earlier suffered his third successive opening-round defeat at the tournament and declared: "I'm absolutely amazed that I am number one."

Williams, who has a handsome lead in the provisional rankings with two events left this season, was beaten 6-3 by Parrott in the quarter-finals.

"I was rubbish - total garbage. If someone is playing well against me at the moment then they will beat me," said the Welshman.

"I'm getting used to playing so badly. The only reason I've won a couple of tournaments this season is because the others must have played even worse.

"It's frightening to think that I could come back here next year as world number one."

Williams leads nearest challenger Hendry by over 6,000 points on the provisional list and if he has a good run at the Scottish Open in Aberdeen next week can go to the World Championship with top spot sown up. -PA