Stephen Hendry will put thoughts of retirement to the back of his mind after roaring back to beat 18-year-old Chinese sensation Zhang Anda at the Crucible.
The greatest player of the modern era, seven times a winner of the Betfred.com World Championship, trailed Zhang 9-7 last night and that was the point at which quitting the game crossed his mind.
But he turned the match around to prevail 10-9 and secure his place in the second round.
Hendry had looked like making a humiliating first-round exit at the hands of a player who was not even born when he landed the first of his titles in Sheffield, in 1990, but now a clash with Masters champion Mark Selby awaits in the last 16.
Hendry produced a classic comeback, finishing with breaks of 89, 52 and 55.
The 41-year-old Scot said: ‘It's my 25th year here and the amount of times I've done that - I find something from somewhere.
‘At 9-7 down I had my retirement speeches ready. I felt it just summed up a dismal season, going out in the first round of the World Championship.
‘But something just clicked and I wish I knew how to do it because if I could produce it more often I'd be in contention to win tournaments.
‘But it came just at the right time.’
Zhang was making his World Championship debut after a run through qualifying which included a win over 1991 Crucible king John Parrott, who went a step further than Hendry by announcing his retirement after that setback.
Hendry said: ‘I thought he was phenomenal. He showed no nerves.
‘I know he's got nothing to lose and you can raise your game to the occasion, but by the same token you can freeze as well.’
Selby ousted 1997 champion Ken Doherty 10-4 and the 26-year-old's only gripe concerned his failure to make a 147 maximum break in the final frame.
He missed the 11th black after reaching 81.
A £157,000 jackpot could have been the reward, but Selby said: ‘The money's great if you get it but I was thinking about the history and being on the roll of honour, knowing that you've made a 147 at the Crucible.’
Three-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan begins his campaign today when he starts his match against another Chinese player, Liang Wenbo, in the afternoon.
The man who eliminated O'Sullivan in the second round last year, Northern Ireland's Mark Allen, was another winner yesterday - 10-4 over Tom Ford.
Allen had gone closer than Selby to a 147 in Saturday's opening session of the match, breaking down at 122 after snookering himself on the green.
Allen joked: ‘Was it a big cheque then? I wasn't thinking about it.
‘I was nervous, it would have been treble my previous biggest payday.’
