Snooker: Ebdon prepares for long defence

Peter Ebdon started his defence of the Embassy World Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in convincing fashion yesterday. He opened with a break of 127, made a total clearance of 135 to lead 6-3 at the interval, and completed his 10-3 win over Gerrard Greene, the world No 63, with a clearance of 96.

Greene, a left-hander who represents Northern Ireland, levelled three times in the morning session and had a chance to level at 4-4, but Ebdon took the lengthy frame on the pink to open a two-frame gap. With Greene falling away thereafter, Ebdon completed a seven-frame winning streak to go through to play either Northern Ireland's Joe Swail or Malta's Tony Drago for a quarter-final place.

No first-time champion has made a successful defence here. Nor does a season which has yielded Ebdon only two semi-finals suggest that he will either, but he says: "It's all about mental strength. If I can be mentally strong, I can do it again." Ebdon has also been encouraged by the effect of a stronger prescription in his contact lenses and his overall performance contained comparatively few unforced errors.

Ebdon maintains that the Crucible's longer matches, starting best-of-19 and increasing to best-of-35 in the final ­ truer tests than the circuit's staple best-of- nines ­ reduce the likelihood of surprise defeats. It is certainly true his capacity to sustain mental intensity makes him better equipped for the longer haul. To win the title a year ago, he won 71 frames (out of 121) over five matches, in the last two of which he had to go the full distance against Matthew Stevens and Stephen Hendry.

The talented if volatile Australian Quinten Hann seemed set to establish a commanding overnight lead when he led John Parrott 5-1. However, Parrott, by taking the three remaining frames of the session resumes this morning only 5-4 adrift.

Stephen Hendry, attempting to win his eighth world title, made his 99th century at the Crucible, to lead Gary Wilkinson 3-1. The world No 46 pulled back to trail 4-3 before Hendry's runs of 60 and 80 gave him a 6-3 advantage. Having won one title and reached two other finals since Christmas, Hendry can be expected to challenge strongly for an eighth world crown, but faces a prospective quarter-final against Mark Williams.

Williams was angry after his cue was severely damaged last month by careless airline baggage handling. Although Trevor White, his cue doctor, managed to repair it, it did not at first feel the same, and the Welsh left-hander's chances will be influenced by the degree to which he has overcome the problem.

On the face of it, the bottom semi-final should be between Ronnie O'Sullivan and either Hendry or Williams. If an O'Sullivan v Hendry or Williams semi-final does occur, there will be an edge of animosity. O'Sullivan's unwarranted attack on Hendry's sportsmanship prior to their semi-final here last year shattered that relationship, and last month's exchange of insults between O'Sullivan and Williams finished that one too.