Peter Ebdon stunned seven-time champion and hot favourite Stephen Hendry by winning the opening four frames of their Embassy World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre.
Peter Ebdon stunned seven-time champion and hot favourite Stephen Hendry by winning the opening four frames of their Embassy World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre.
Ebdon was in top form and hardly missed a ball as he amassed 378 points and conceded only 29 in that period against a shell-shocked Hendry.
It remains to be seen whether Ebdon's exertions in his 10-hour marathon match with Matthew Stevens will eventually take their toll mentally and physically as the next two days develop with a possible 35 frames to be contested.
His iron will and determination is such that Stevens felt he had "just gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson" after his 17-16 defeat past 11 o'clock last evening.
Ebson, who admitted thinking of wife Deborah and his children as motivation as he battled to overcome Stevens, certainly started in confident fashion as he looked to avenge his 18-12 defeat at the hands of the Scot in the 1996 world final.
Hendry, 2-5 on favourite with the bookmakers, left Ebdon in amongst the balls after he missed a long red and he put together a 65 break and then clinched the frame after his opponent had unintentionally potted the black.
The second frame started in similar fashion with Hendry going in off with the white and Ebdon compiling a useful 40 before opting for safety.
Then, when Hendry let him in again, Ebdon took full advantage with his first century of the final and the 61st of the 2002 tournament.
It meant that Ebdon had won the first two frames with a combined total of 234 points and without Hendry potting a ball.
He was first to strike in the third with a run of 40 and he had amassed 282 points before Hendry cut in a red to get off the mark after 54 minutes play.
But it was Ebdon who stretched his lead to 3-0 and the confidence was flowing from his play at this juncture.
He then completed the mini whitewash with the aid of an opening 34 and his start to the final would have been beyond his wildest dreams against an opponent who had beaten him in their eight previous meetings.