Rank outsider Graeme Dott stunned Ronnie O'Sullivan by winning the opening five frames of the Embassy World Championship final at The Crucible Theatre before `The Rocket' launched a comeback.
O'Sullivan was 1-12 on with the bookmakers at the start of the best-of-35 frame marathon - the shortest-ever odds to lift the world crown at the start of a final.
But Dott, who had considered quitting the game in January after smashing his cue in frustration at his form, produced a superb display of potting against an initially out of sorts O'Sullivan with a series of decisive breaks.
It was only after going 5-0 behind that O'Sullivan started to show the kind of potting that had demolished Stephen Hendry in the semi-final as he took the final three frames of the opening session.
Dott, 6-1 to win the title had claimed in his press conference on Saturday that he can "just go out there and have a laugh" after writing off his own chances of defeating O'Sullivan.
But he made a dream start after O'Sullivan had missed an attempted cut on the brown and the 26-year-old from Larkhall took full advantage with a 71 break to the final red.
Dott pounced again in the next after O'Sullivan had missed a long red with a fine 77 and was certainly showing no signs of nerves in the biggest match of is career.
It was a similar story in the frame three with runs of 43 and 64 enabling Dott to move into a 3-0 lead.
And a disbelieving O'Sullivan found himself falling another frame behind as a 38 and 36 enabled Dott to complete the pre interval whitewash.
Dott was not affected by the break and a 60 put him five frames clear and the capacity audience could hardly believe what they were witnessing with O'Sullivan having gone three frames without potting a ball.
But O'Sullivan finally began to show what he is capable of and he opened his account in the next with a 100 break - his 13th century of the tournament.
The penultimate frame was not such a fluent affair but O'Sullivan, after an initial 34, gleaned sufficient points after Dott missed a red hanging over the green pocket.
Then he ensured he went into the evening session only with a two-frame deficit after a 63 in the last which was aided by a fluked red midway through the break.
Dott is looking to cause the biggest upset in the competition since Joe Johnson toppled Steve Davis 18-12 in the 1986 final to win £70,000.