It meant that if the seven-times former title holder could whitewash the Yorkshireman after the break he would be through to a quarter-final against Matthew Stevens - and could enjoy a deserved night off.

Many experts had tipped Hunter, who won a dramatic Benson and Hedges Masters final against Fergal O’Brien in February, to knock out Hendry on the form they had shown in the first round at the Crucible.

But the performance the former world number one produced yesterday indicated that the self-doubt so evident in his unconvincing opening victory over Mark Davis had been eradicated from his game.

Hendry’s play this morning was solid rather than spectacular and he did not need to make a 50 break to win two of the first three frames, sandwiching a run of 74 by his opponent.

His first half-century of the session came just before the interval with a 54 putting the frame beyond the 22-year-old from Leeds, who tried to gain the two snookers he needed but could not stop his deficit becoming six.

On the other table, Northern Ireland’s Patrick Wallace was keeping ahead of fellow qualifier Mark King in their battle to clinch a last-eight meeting with Mark Williams’ conqueror Joe Swail.

It was slow going and Wallace, a lifelong friend of Swail, took today’s opener before Romford-based King pulled one back to trail 6-4.