Snooker: Stevens' final frame bonus
Matthew Stevens will resume his Embassy World Championship semi-final against John Higgins buoyed by the psychological bonus of taking the final frame of the opening session.
The boost came not from the mere achievement of winning a frame, but from the Welshman cutting his deficit to 5-3 rather than going 6-2 behind.
That would have rendered his task much more difficult for the rest of the match.
It was a frame that looked like going the Scot's way when he made a break of 56, but he then missed a simple red to let in Stevens.
And the 23-year-old from Carmarthen took full advantage, holding his nerve to knock in a 70 which kept him snapping at his opponent's heels.
Not surprisingly considering the quality of play the duo have produced throughout the tournament, the first session included some tremendous break-building with virtually every mistake punished.
Sixth seed Stevens picked up where he had left off against Stephen Hendry in the quarter-finals by rattling in a 100 in the opening frame.
But a 40 for world number two Higgins was good enough in the next, and the 1998 champion also captured the next two before the mid-session interval.
The four frames after the break were shared, with Higgins constructing a 95 and a 92 while Stevens responded with a 68 before his composed clearance in the last of the night.
Ronnie O'Sullivan resumed 6-2 up on Joe Swail with the Ulsterman facing another mountain to climb if he was to avoid a semi-final exit for the second successive year.
