King of the Crucible wins a Classic
Stephen Hendry reeled off the last three frames to beat Chinese Teenager Anda Zhang 10-9.
At 9-7 down down, by his own admittance Stephen Hendry "was composing a retirement speech".
"It's my 25th year here", said the seven times Champion "and the amount of times down the years I've found something from somewhere.
"It came just at the right time tonight."
The catalyst that sparked a vintage Hendry performance was a missed black by Zhang as he attempted to split the pack. Zhang had made 25 on what he hoped was going to be a frame and match-winning break.
But instead the chance fell to Hendry who never looked like missing as he stroked in 89.
He followed that with 52 in the next frame, and some pin point safety which put his young opponent in all sorts of trouble. Hendry added 32 to clinch the frame and that sent the match into the final frame shoot out.
Hendry grabbed the first chance in the decider and got to 34 when he attempted to split the reds, but the cue ball landed touching ball on a red and he had no option but to play safe.
Zhang attempted a long, dead-weight, red which did everything but drop in the top corner.
The red obscured the pocket for the black and it took a great shot by Hendry to take a red and get the other side of the black into an open pocket.
From that he slammed in 55, even attempting his last shot left-handed, to win a classic encounter of youth versus experience.
The players earned a well-deserved standing ovation from a packed Crucible.
Resuming at 5-4 ahead, Hendry found he just couldn't shake his young opponent off. Zhang started the evening with a classy 86 to level the match.
Hendry made 65 to move ahead and dominated the next to open a 7-5 buffer.
But back came Zhang again. A 35 clearance won the thirteenth and a run of 44 brought the scores level at 7-7.
Zhang then left Hendry fuming in his chair as he ran in 48 and 76 to take the lead for the first time in the match.
He snatched the next with 49 to move within a frame of the winning line.
But then came the Hendry fight back.
Hendry was full of praise for his young opponent saying "He's phenominal. He showed no nerves. He just kept digging in long ball from under the cushion.
"He was fearless and I was thinking I used to do that when I was his age."
Of his own performance Hendry was in part delighted and in part frustrated.
"Tonight I'm just delighted to still be in the tournament. Tomorrow I'll start to think about my next match. But I know one thing, I couldn't win it from half way back up the M61!
"When Zhang missed the black, something kicks in, somehow I smell blood. It came just at the right time for me.
"But it's so frustrating. To produce the form I did in the last three frames, but only to produce it in patches.
"If I'd lost I would have had a serious think over the summer about retirement."
Zhang's thoughts have already turned to looking forward to next season.
Through an interpreter he explained. "I am looking forward now to go to China to play in some events.
"I am very proud of my performance. I didn't feel nervous because I was so focussed on the match. I enjoyed it and the atmosphere was brilliant.
