Stephen Hendry described his epic 13-12 victory over Barry Pinches as "one of my hardest ever Crucible battles" after reaching the Embassy World Championship quarter-finals in Sheffield this evening.
At 35, Hendry is the oldest player left in the tournament but his experience did not look as though it was going to pull him through.
In the end, qualifier Pinches, who beat Jimmy White in the first round, made a fatal error in the deciding frame, missing a black off its spot and giving the seven-times champion an opportunity to finally put the contest out of reach.
"I've had some battles down the years here and that one is pretty near the top of the list," agreed the relieved world number two who saw the match slipping away when he trailed 11-9.
Hendry now plays countryman Alan McManus or Ian McCulloch for a place in the semi-finals.
PA