Snooker:Shaun Murphy has opened up a healthy 5-2 lead over Ken Doherty in today's Malta Cup final in Portomaso.
The defending champion lost the opening frame of the match to Irishman Doherty, but rallied to lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval, before winning two of the next three frames.
If the Rotherham cueman does go on to successfully defend his title, he will become the second player to have won back-to-back titles on the Mediterranean island.
Only Stephen Hendry, the seven-times world champion, has achieved the feat when in 2001 he won the Rothmans Grand Prix and European Open titles at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Hendry also went on to win the Malta Cup in its debut season in 2005, with Doherty and Murphy taking the crown in the following years.
Champion in 2006, it was world number four Doherty who edged ahead thanks to a cool 91 break in the opening frame.
But world number three Murphy, who beat Welshman Ryan Day 9-4 in last year's final, won two scrappy frames for a welcome lead, before adding runs of 41 and 42 to open up a two-frame cushion at the mid-session interval.
And it got even better as the 25-year-old edged to within four frames of this year's title despite failing to muster a break of more than 50 in the opening seven frames.
However Doherty, appearing in a record fifth final in Malta, will fancy his chances of a comeback tonight.
Last month the Dubliner bravely battled back from 4-1 and 5-2 behind to beat Murphy 6-5 in the quarter-finals of the Wembley Masters.
The Ranelagh professional pocketed three centuries to win four of the last five frames for a famous victory, although he missed out on a place in another major final.
Earlier this season — and in their only other meeting this term — Doherty edged Murphy in the Pot Black final in Sheffield.
Murphy's last title was in Malta 12 months ago, while Doherty successfully defended the Irish Professional Championship in September.
This year's winner will scoop £20,000, with the runner-up set to earn £9,000.