Hawkins hammers Hendry

Stephen Hendry joined Scottish compatriot Graeme Dott as an early casualty at the Honghe Industrial China Open.

The seven-times world champion was hammered 5-1 by Englishman Barry Hawkins in their first-round clash at the Beijing Sports Gymnasium.

"I lost because Barry played better than me," reflected an understandably disappointed Hendry.

He added: "I didn't get many chances after the first frame and he was the better player.

"This doesn't have any bearing on the World Championship, but it matters because I wanted to do well here. I'll have to wait until next year."

Hendry started well enough and won the opening frame thanks largely to an opening break of 41.

But from there on it was Hawkins who was in control, the Beckenham left-hander reeled off the next five frames for victory and a last-16 meeting with another Scottish player, Stephen Maguire.

With Hendry out there was also disappointment for crowd favourite Steve Davis. The 'Nugget' slipped to an agonising 5-2 defeat at the hands of fellow Londoner Mark King.

Chinese favourite Ding Junhui is through to the last 16, but not without a real fight against Cambridgeshire cueman Joe Perry.

In the last of the evening matches Ryan Day won the all-Welsh battle against compatriot Matthew Stevens 5-3.