Snooker: Former Crucible runner-up Matthew Stevens has taken a commanding 7-2 lead over Irish debutant Joe Delaney in their first-round clash at the World Championship in Sheffield this afternoon.
The Welshman, a runner-up in south Yorkshire two years ago, raced into a 6-0 lead against Dubliner Delaney.
His opponent, making his first Crucible appearance in a 16-year professional career, pinched two frames to keep his slim hopes of a second--round berth alive, but world number 14 Stevens closed in on a place in the next phase.
The pair resume to conclude their best-of-19 frame match tomorrow night with former UK champion Stevens requiring just three frames for a second-round clash with either Ken Doherty or Mark Allen.
Delaney, the world number 63, struggled badly to find any form against Stevens with the Welshman taking full advantage to leave himself needing three frames for a place in the next round when the pair resume to conclude their match today.
Stevens was not at his sparkling best, but breaks of 60, 45, 69 and 53 were enough for the former UK champion to power ahead against the Irish qualifier.
Delaney pocketed a high break of 73 to win his first frame when trailing 6-0, but Stevens won the next frame to keep his title hopes on track.
Meanwhile, Anthony Hamilton battled his way to a 6-1 lead over Hong Kong's Marco Fu, a Crucible semi-finalist last season. But the pair's first-round match had to be pulled off two frames short of the allocated nine frames because it would have delayed the start of the evening session.
Hamilton, who is in real danger of dropping out of the top 16 this season, opened with a 84 break and had further runs of 45 and 80 as he edged 3-0 ahead.
The next two frames went Hamilton's way before Fu finally got on the scoresheet to reduce his arrears by winning the sixth frame.
But Hamilton made it 6-1 thanks to a 45 break in the final frame, making himself a clear favourite to progress to the next phase when the duo resume to conclude their match tomorrow.