Snooker: Former champion Peter Ebdon and underdog Marco Fu shared the opening four frames of their World Snooker Championship semi-final clash at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.
Qualifier Fu is only the second Asian player to reach the semi-finals after Thailand's James Wattana and insisted: "I've never thought about winning the tournament."
The initial exchanges of the best-of-33-frames encounter were tentative with both players reluctant to take risks.
Fu, who had ousted world number three Stephen Maguire and 1997 world champion Ken Doherty on his way to the last four, dominated the first frame proper and a run of 41 gave him the early ascendancy before missing an awkward red into the middle.
Dubai-based Ebdon failed to convert a similar opportunity into the other middle bag and it was his last visit to the table as Fu put together an 81 clearance to claim first blood.
The 28-year-old, whose game has been remodelled by coach and former world champion Terry Griffiths, was favourite to double his lead after a run of 54 in the next.
But he was made to pay when missing a red into the black pocket when 55-20 ahead and Ebdon showed his class in negotiating a difficult red on the rail and an awkwardly placed final green with a decisive 56.
Ebdon believes "there is no reason why I can't win two or three world titles" and he showed his pedigree in the quarter-finals in over-powering the 2005 champion Shaun Murphy.
But he slipped behind for the second time when a scrappy third frame went Fu's way after a modest 25 left his opponent needing snookers.
Ebdon was first among the balls in the final frame before the mid-session interval before breaking down on 42 after splitting the pack and not finding himself on a red.
But Fu, who had a 100% record with his long-potting in the opening three frames, was unable to convert a red into the black pocket and Ebdon closed the frame out with his second half-century of the match.
Ronnie Sullivan and Graeme Dott will contest the other semi-final this evening in a re-run of their 2004 final. PA