Stephen Hendry scores brilliant 147 on the opening day of the Betfred.com World Championship at the Crucible The 43-year-old Scot, seven times a world champion, only arrived back in the country on Friday after his long-haul business trip, which began on Monday, a day after he won a qualifying match to reach the world snooker championship. But Hendry cannot have dreamed he would play so well, as he opened up an 8-1 lead over Stuart Bingham, needing just two more frames today to reach the second round, where John Higgins could await him. Hendry stands to pick up £40,000 for the 147 and a £10,000 highest break prize, unless any other player makes a maximum, in which the prize money is split. He said: "The 147 was probably one of my best, position-wise, and it was absolutely fantastic to make a third maximum at the World Championship. I felt really good out there, and the jet lag - well, sleep is for wimps. It's the new way, fly in to Sheffield the day before with no practice! That ties me with Ronnie to have made three here, and I don't care what Mark Williams says about the Crucible, there is no better feeling than to make one here. Higgins took a narrow lead into the concluding session of his first-round clash with Liang Wenbo. He trailed 4-3 and was 54-0 behind in frame eight before coming back to lead 5-4 at the break.