The Leicester potter moved from 7-1 ahead overnight to lead 12-4, meaning he will require just two more tomorrow to reach the last eight for the third successive year.

Selby required six of this afternoon’s eight frames to earn himself a day off tomorrow, but with pride a factor Hendry dug in and gave a satisfied smile when he reached 10-4, sharing a joke with his opponent.

It was in the next frame that Selby made history by completing half a dozen centuries. After breaks of 125, 108 and 129 yesterday, the 27-year-old rifled in 100, 127 and 117 today.

Hendry was similarly punishing during his 1990s heyday but at the age of 42, and 25 years since making his World Championship debut, the Scot no longer scores so heavily.

He had an early opportunity in the day’s first frame but let Selby back in to plunder his fourth century.

Hendry hit back with 62 to take the next, but Selby returned with 127 in frame 11 and followed it with 87 to lead 10-2 at the mid-session interval.

That left the Englishman in sight of victory, but 75 and 74 from Hendry spared some blushes before he took his seat for the next Selby potting masterclass.

The sixth hundred from Selby was followed by embarrassment for Hendry in the final frame of the session. Selby needed snookers at 70-22 behind and drew five fouls from Hendry, the last of which saw him pot the white to leave his opponent a short-range red. Selby cleared up to take the frame 77-76.

On the other table, Shaun Murphy cut into Ronnie O’Sullivan’s lead to set up a fascinating final session tomorrow evening.

O’Sullivan was 6-2 ahead at the start of play, but Murphy trimmed that advantage to 9-7. Neither man went close to matching Selby’s stunning form though, with no century in the match yet.