STEPHEN Hendry, the seven times world champion, eased his way into the third round of the PowerHouse UK Snooker Championship, with a convincing 9-4 win over Welshman Dominic Dale last night.

He came back from losing the first frame to lead 4-1 including a 135 break in the third frame.

Dale hit a century break to win the sixth frame but Hendry led 5-3 at the end of the first session. He took the first three frames of the evening's play at the Barbican Centre, with a 103 break in frame 11, to make it 8-3. His two century breaks yesterday took his career total of 579.

Dale had said after his first round win over Euan Henderson on Sunday that perhaps Hendry might lack motivation for his opening match last night because it was not in front of the television cameras.

And Hendry admitted after his victory that in the past he had been vulnerable in these situations but after losing the first frame and coming from behind the win the second he settled well into the match.

His last 16 opponent will be fellow Scot Graeme Dott, who beat off a determined challenge by Thailander Kwan Poomjang last night.

From 3-0 down Dott won the next four frames. He kept the advantage after that, including a 106 break in frame 11, until Poomjang, 102 places below Dott in world ranking, rallied to level at 8-8. The Scot held his nerve and made sure of victory with a final break of 49 to take him over the line.

Jimmy White was 6-2 down to Scot Drew Henry going into this afternoon's final session of their second round match. At 4-1 down yesterday White made a 113 break but Henry hit back in the next frame with a 107.

Robert Milkins, the world No 33 who knocked out Nigel Bond in the first round, was only two frames from a place in the last 16 going into the second session of his match against world No 16 Joe Swail this afternoon. Swail was 6-0 down yesterday before he won his only frame of the day.

World Snooker have signed up two more sponsors for the PowerHouse UK Championship being played in York.

Electrical retailer PowerHouse are the title sponsors of the £615,000 tournament. Now Globet.com, a global internet betting company, and Scandinavian finance house Nordea have completed the line-up.


Updated: 12:49 Thursday, December 05, 2002