Hunter moves swiftly towards treble

Paul Hunter's 6-1 quarter-final dispatch of Stephen Lee in only 94 minutes kept the 24-year-old Yorkshireman on course for a hat-trick of Benson & Hedges Masters titles and emphasised that he has become one of the game's major forces.

With November's British Open title, a semi-final, a quarter- and a last-16 to show from the season's first four ranking events, only Mark Williams, the UK champion, has accumulated more points.

"Stephen missed a red [on 39-0] in the first frame which he should have got and after that I played awesome" was Hunter's accurate summary of an afternoon in which he made two centuries, a 98, three half-centuries and four 30s.

After the opening frame he was on course for a 147 maximum, only previously achieved in the 29-year history of the tournament by Kirk Stevens in 1984. He potted blacks with his first 13 reds in the second, but stretching and bridging awkwardly, he failed at the 14th red and the break ended on 104.

"It was a rush of blood," he said as the chance to win an £80,000 sports car passed.

At 4-1 Hunter produced a total clearance of 138 - the front runner for the £22,000 highest break - and his 98 in the next frame concluded the proceedings.

Hunter's unbeaten run of 10 matches at Wembley has been matched only by Cliff Thorburn, who won this title three times in four years in the 80s, and exceeded only by Stephen Hendry, who won his first 23 between 1989 and 1994.