Snooker: Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry today produced a superb fightback to beat Northern Ireland youngster Mark Allen in a thrilling first-round clash at the World Championship in Sheffield.
Hendry trailed 6-3 overnight and then 9-7 to the qualifier from Antrim before winning the last three frames to seal a 10-9 victory. The Scot, who lost 9-4 to Allen in the UK Championship in December, will play either China's Ding Junhui or Hong Kong's Marco Fu in last 16.
Allen will be kicking himself for letting such a famous win slip through his grasp, the 22-year-old being just two pots away from victory in the 18th frame and then going in-off when potting the opening red in the decider.
Resuming this afternoon, Hendry won the 10th frame on the black by securing the two snookers he needed after Allen carelessly missed the final brown.
It was Allen's turn to need a snooker in the next frame but, after successful drawing Hendry into a foul, the 22-year-old from Antrim hammered the final back into the jaws of the bottom pocket and watched in disbelief as it bounced off the table.
Things went from bad to worse for the former world amateur champion in the next, referee Michaela Tabb calling a foul when his waistcoat brushed a red as he stretched to pot the black while on a break of 57.
Hendry eventually cleared up with a break of 64 but Allen composed himself enough to win the final frame before the mid-session interval to lead 7-6.
A run of 89 made it 8-6 to the former world amateur champion but Hendry replied with 65 to reduce the deficit once more.
Making just his second appearance at the Crucible, Allen hit back with 55 to get within sight of the finishing line but Hendry dug deep and levelled at 9-9 when Allen missed a pink to the middle trying to gain position on the match-winning final red.
Allen was then unlucky to see the white roll into the middle pocket after potting a long red in the decider and Hendry took full advantage with a break of 72 to seal victory in the best match of the tournament so far.
In contrast to a jubilant Hendry, Allen was in tears as he reflected on a wasted opportunity, in particular that chance to go 7-3 ahead.
"That gave Stephen a lot of a confidence," Allen said. "If I had gone 7-3 ahead it would have been different and maybe I could have relaxed a little bit. I thought I played the better snooker but I had my chance in the last frame and didn't take it.
"The way Stephen took the last frame shows what he is still capable of and it shows how experience matters at the Crucible. A lot of players would have crumbled in that last frame but he played a perfect frame."
Earlier, Dublin's Michael Judge was knocked out by Ryan Day, but not before staging something of a revival that saw him come agonisingly close to a maximum break.
Judge trailed his Welsh opponent by nine frames to four at this morning's mid-session interval after Day won the first four frames of the session.
Judge, however, was not about to give in easily and in the 14th frame he kept his slim hopes alive in the best possible style, coming close to a maximum 147 break.
The 31-year-old potted 13 reds and 13 blacks but missed the 14th red with the rest when the £147,000 prize on offer for a maximum was within sight.
He went on to win the next frame with a break of 74 to reduce the gap to 9-6 and battled gamely to claw back the three snookers he needed in the 16th frame but Day eventually potted the blue to seal a 10-6 victory and a second round meeting with defending champion John Higgins.