All square in epic Crucible final

Mark Williams and comeback-king Ken Doherty were locked at 14-14 in the battle for the Embassy World Championship crown after sharing the opening four frames of the final session at The Crucible.

Doherty was attempting to make history as no player has recovered from trailing 11-5 after the first day of the final and gone on to take snooker’s biggest prize.

The first frame of the evening session was predictably scrappy with both players guilty of squandering the kind of opportunities they would normally take advantage of.

But after 21 minutes, it was Williams, who has never been behind in the final, who nudged ahead again 13-12 after Doherty had left the penultimate red close to the yellow pocket.

Williams managed to put together a modest, but decisive clearance of 23 to the blue before Doherty conceded.

It was a similar scenario in the early stages of the next before Doherty produced a superb break of 92 to the black after Williams had again failed to tuck away a simple red.

Doherty manoeuvred the last three reds off the side cushion into potable positions and then took full advantage.

But the response was instant from Williams, who compiled an 87 break to again regain a one-frame lead.

Doherty seized the initiative in the final frame before the interval with a run of 46, but Williams could have nicked it off his opponent when he left the final red over the middle pocket.

A missed yellow proved costly and a relieved Doherty was able to put sufficient points on the scoreboard to go in for the 20 minute break all square.

Doherty had produced another remarkable comeback in the afternoon session after looking down and out when Williams resumed with his six-frame advantage.

But for the past fortnight Doherty has made a habit of manufacturing great escapes from seemingly hopeless positions.

And, in an incredible turnaround in fortunes, the Irishman won the first six frames of the third session to draw level,

No-one on the snooker circuit is made of stronger resolve than Doherty and in this tournament he has been taken to a final-frame decider on three occasions.

He defeated Shaun Murphy 10-9 in the first round, overcame Graeme Dott 13-12 after trailing 7-2 and then overturning a 15-9 reversal in the semi-finals to dispose of Paul Hunter.

Doherty went into the final having played 98 frames compared to the 72 of Williams and there were fears that the fatigue factor would take its toll.

But the 33-year-old, who at one stage trailed 10-2, dug in and slowly, but surely clawed his way back into contention as Williams brilliant form deserted him.