The Scot expected a rough ride from a partisan audience which had come to cheer London's favourite snooker son and he was not disappointed.

But the Wembley roar eventually died in the throats of the White fan club as Hendry moved into a last-four meeting against Leeds' Paul Hunter.

"The crowd were fantastic," the 32-year-old said sarcastically, rounding off another Masters comeback with a 44 clearance and a clenched-fist victory salute to a crowd of 1,649.

"It always gives me great pleasure to win here," added the world number three, who ruled supreme at Wembley during the 90s when he reeled off five successive Masters victories.

Hendry has now scored five wins at White's 'home' venue but admitted: "I didn't play to a very high standard but I won the frames that mattered.

"It was a great clearance, though, at the end. Had it gone 5-5 it would have been anyone's match in the last frame."

Hendry had trailed 3-1 and was perhaps just one ball from going 4-1 down. However, White - a second-round winner over Ronnie O'Sullivan - failed to convert a routine red, and Hendry's 45 break began a recovery that brought him five of the next six frames.

"It wasn't the ideal situation to be 3-1 down at the interval," agreed Hendry, who trailed teenager Shaun Murphy in his previous outing.

"I'll have to start a lot quicker in my next match," added the Masters favourite.

Hendry drew level at 3-3 with a break of 54, and then his 519th career century took him 4-3 in front. White should have won the eighth but spurned another opportunity, and although the Londoner took the ninth Hendry came from 52-22 down when White missed another red to clinch his semi-final berth.

"There was a lot of build-up to this game, but it was scrappy from shot one," said White.

"Stephen seems to hang in there better than me in the scrappy games.

"I've said before the crowd can put you off when you're not playing well. They shout 'come on' when you are snookered behind two colours. What do they expect me to do?

"They should just put the television cameras on the idiots and sling them out. I am gutted because I was playing well enough to win it.

"But I won't get too down because there is so much happening."