Slow-paced duo face extra session

Anthony Hamilton and David Gray face some unexpected overtime this evening to complete their marathon first-round game at the Embassy World Championship.

The pair require an unscheduled third session to decide the outcome after Hamilton failed to put the finishing touches to a comeback win.

The ’Sheriff of Pottingham’ returns later with a 9-8 lead but could have completed a 10-6 success.

And he will certainly know how Stephen Maguire feels after his heartbreaking defeat by Ronnie O’Sullivan last night if he allows Gray off the hook.

Hamilton, a quarter-finalist 12 months ago, looked on course to meet Stephen Hendry or Neil Robertson when he led 44-19 in frame 16.

Instead, he gave Gray an opportunity to stay in contention with a couple of careless shots.

Gray also fluked frame ball yellow out of a snooker on his way to a break of 71.

Hamilton also wasted another chance in what proved the last frame of the session.

And even though they must return for at least one further frame, they increased the pace considerably from yesterday.

The duo completed only six of their scheduled nine frames with two frames in excess of 40 minutes and two more over 30 minutes.

In contrast, the longest frame today was just 28 minutes as Gray compiled runs of 80 and 71 while Hamilton replied with 40, 49, 86, 71 and 53.

But it was still slow stuff. It has so far taken the pair six hours 32 minutes to play 17 frames while Maguire and O’Sullivan completed 19 frames in a fraction over five hours.

World number 14 Gray, 26, had led 4-0 yesterday but won only two more as world number 25 Hamilton swept 8-6 and 9-7 in front.

However, he managed to stop the rot and may feel the momentum has swung his way again.