KEN DOHERTY won the first frame of his second round match with Darren Morgan in the Embassy World Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield yesterday, and looked set to take the second, but Morgan came back into the match to lead 5-3 overnight, and Doherty faces an uphill struggle in his attempt to reach the quarter finals.

Morgan, for so long Welsh number two to golden great Terry Griffiths, looks ready to step out of the 1979 World champion's shadow.

His recent victory in the Irish Masters has given World number eight Morgan self belief, and that was clearly evident in yesterday's first session with Doherty.

The bearded left hander finished with a break of 110 and the 1994 Crucible semi finalist may be on course for a quarter final with five times world champion Stephen Hendry.

Jimmy White produced some of his best snooker of the season against Peter Ebdon but still trails in their second round meeting.

Three frames in the middle of their opening session were vintage White but he could not sustain it with another Crucible Theatre full house cheering on their favourite son.

Ebdon, the World number 10 and one of the favourites for the title on May 6th, strung together his own hat trick to establish a valuable 5-3 overnight lead.

Crucially, White missed a red when looking good to level at 4-4. And the error cost him as Ebdon, son of a prison officer, cleared up with 44 to the pink to get out of jail.

With 17 frames still on offer there's plenty of time for the Whirlwind to prove he is not a spent force.

And if he can rediscover the form that took him from 2-0 down to 3-2 up, White six times a runner up at Sheffield could yet cause an upset.

Certainly with the pressure off after defeating Fuan Henderson 10-9 in the previous round to secure his place for another season in the top 16, the 33 year old London left hander was in fluent mood.

A break of 64 enabled him to open his account and he followed it with runs of 51 and 70 to reach the interval all square.

Ebdon came into the match having reached four finals and three other semi finals this season; White has only one appearance in the last eight of a major event to show for his efforts.

However, White looked to be the player in form with a fourth half century to give him the filth frame comprehensively 106-0.

White could not accept his half chance to pinch frame six when 68-0 adrift and Ebdon added the seventh after 37 minutes of cat and mouse.

Then came that vital miss into a middle pocket in frame eight to give 25 year old Ebdon his lucky break.

In yesterday's two other games John Higgins steamed towards the next round almost reaching his destination with a session to spare. But countryman Alan McManus ensured Higgins' return to the Crucible this morning for what could be a solitary frame. Higgins, leads 12-4 with nine frames to play.

Like Higgins, the 1994 runner up Nigel Bond is only one frame away from the quarter finals again. He won all eight frames of the second session to take a 12-4 lead over an out-classed James Wattana.