Snooker: After rallying to beat Belfast's Mark Allen Stephen Hendry has insisted he could defy the doubters and win an eighth world title.
Hendry staged a superb fightback to beat Allen in a thrilling first-round clash at the 888.com World Championship in Sheffield, winning the last three frames to seal a 10-9 win.
The Scot, who lost 9-4 to Allen in the UK Championship in December, will play either China's Ding Junhui or Hong Kong's Marco Fu in last 16, the duo scheduled to play their match at the Crucible today.
Hendry was a 33/1 outsider at the start of the championship and although he could not argue with that assessment of his chances at the time, the 39-year-old was in bullish mood after victory over the hugely talented Allen.
"I've got to take confidence from a win like this, to be up against it all the way and come through in the end, and to win the last frame in style in one visit is very pleasing," said Hendry, who made his Crucible debut in 1986, the year Allen was born.
"You only have to look at my record the last two or three years and even I would have written myself off. I know I'm not down as one of the favourites but I know I'm easily capable of winning it."
In contrast, six-time champion Steve Davis could have played his last match at the Crucible after losing a late-night thriller to Stuart Bingham in the first round.
Davis threatened to pull off a remarkable fightback when he recovered from 8-3 down to level the match at 8-8, only for qualifier Bingham to claim the next two frames and seal a nerve-racking 10-8 victory.
Davis has now won just one match in the last three years at the Crucible and, by dropping out of the top 16 in the world at the end of the season, is faced with the prospect of qualifying for tournaments.
"It's a bit annoying, I felt as if I let it slip," said the 50-year-old. "After getting back into the match and playing decent it's a bitter pill to then mess up a couple of golden opportunities in the last two frames."
Also in action today are former champions Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy and Graeme Dott.
Williams leads qualifier Mark Davis 8-1 after their opening session while 2005 winner Murphy begins his match against Stoke's Dave Harold in the evening session.
Dott is playing at the Crucible despite being diagnosed with depression — the 2006 champion takes on Joe Perry in the first round.