Peter Ebdon claimed his first Embassy World Championship crown as he overcame Stephen Hendry 18-17 in one of the classic finals at the Crucible Theatre two minutes after midnight this morning.

Ten years after first gracing snooker's greatest stage when sporting a pony tail, Ebdon finally picked up the coveted prize - and a cheque for £260,000 - as he refused to buckle against the seven-times champion.

Only 48 hours earlier, Ebdon had been involved in a strength-sapping semi-final with Matthew Stevens when he trailed 16-14 and was one shot from going out of the championship before battling back to win 17-16.

One wondered how much the 31-year-old had left in the tank to face a back-on-song Hendry, who has been rejuvenated this season since acquiring the services of Terry Griffiths as his coach.

But Ebdon led for long periods in the best-of-35 frame contest and, when he really needed it at the death, produced more of the top-quality snooker which has been his trademark throughout the last 17 days at Sheffield.

The Wellingborough player seemed to thrive as the pressure got greater and, after going 15-14 down, fired in breaks of 73, 111 and 85 in rapid succession.

He even managed to recover after failing to convert a vital black in frame 34 which would have virtually taken him past the finishing line.

Hendry made the most of that reprieve but it was only temporary as the final went to a last-frame shoot-out for only the third time.

Both players made errors in the early stages but it was Ebdon who stepped in with a 59 to put him in the ascendancy.

Hendry then needed snookers after accidentally potting the white when trying to snooker Ebdon behind the black - and seconds later Ebdon had done enough to clinch the title.

It had been his wife Deborah that Ebdon had switched his thoughts to when the going got tough against Stevens to help him over the finishing line.

And the pair hugged in celebration along with their nine-year-old daughter Clarissa after another 10-hour marathon was finally concluded.

Both players had produced top-quality snooker and notched up four centuries apiece in a game which will live long in the memory and it was a shame someone had to lose.

But few would begrudge Ebdon his glory as he avenged his 1996 final defeat at the hands of his opponent.

"I had a couple of chances in the final frame and thought I'd blown it but it just goes to show there's a lot of pressure out there," Ebdon said.

"But I've had a fabulous time and really enjoyed myself, especially in my last couple of matches. It's an honour and a privilege for me to be competing on the same table as Stephen - he was outstanding.

"But I've worked harder this year than I've ever done. I've worked very hard on my game and one or two things in particular with my coach.

"This means the world to me, it's what I've been working for for the last 17 years - I'm obviously a slow learner but I got there in the end."

Hendry was gracious in defeat. "Tonight it was anybody's to be honest, but Peter made a magnificent break in the last frame considering the black he had missed in the previous frame.

"Before the last frame started all you want is one chance - I got three and I didn't take them and I deserved to lose."

Ebdon's journey to the title began when, as a bright student with a cluster of O-levels, a talent for the oboe and a promising bowler of leg-spin, he caused a family rift by abandoning his education at 16 to become a full-time snooker player.

With entry to the paid ranks tightly restricted to 10 in, 10 out each year, he was unable to turn professional until 1991 when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association threw open its doors to anyone willing to pay the £500 joining fee plus subscriptions and entry fees.

Ebdon, one of 733 hopefuls to do so, battled all the way from the first qualifying round to a Crucible debut win over Steve Davis in reaching the 1992 quarter-finals.

In contrast to his current austere haircut, he sported a long ponytail, which now resides in a glass case at his father-in-law's home.

He had an eager, combative style and was, as someone put it, "a breath of fresh hair".

There has been an edge to Ebdon v Hendry matches since the 1992 Dubai Classic when Ebdon, having drawn the then world number one in the first round, was quoted as advising him to pack his golf clubs because he would not be playing much snooker.

In fact, the match was one of Hendry's 13 victories in their 16 encounters before this one.

Their relationship was not improved by Ebdon's war dance of celebration prior to potting an unmissable match ball against Hendry in the 1995 Benson & Hedges Masters at Wembley.

There was another example of what is regarded as excessive triumphalism after Ebdon's drawn-out second-round win over Stephen Lee here last year.

Lee was so incensed that even six months later he said he would refuse to play for England with Ebdon in the Nation's Cup, which, as it happened, was cancelled.

That particular breach has now been smoothed over and there has been no similar occasion for criticism this season.

Despite his foibles, Ebdon's skill and competitive intensity remain admired by his peers - all the more so now.

FRAME SCORES

(best of 35 frames)

(7) P Ebdon (Eng) bt (5) S Hendry (Sco) 18-17 - (Ebdon first): 94-0 (Ebdon 65 break), 140-0 (100), 73-13, 71-16, 0-126 (Hendry 126 break), 40-73, 4-119 (116), 36-65, 134-0 (134), 56-67 (Ebdon 56), 68-9 (52), 70-68 (Hendry 68), 77-14, 69-13 (56), 4-70, 89-33 (89), 69-32 (68), 0-126 (104), 0-108 (108), 21-66, 36-89 (68), 67-43, 0-110, 0-93 (93), 1-127 (63,55), 58-65, 103-22 (103), 62-26, 30-74 (58), 73-21 (73), 111-0 (111), 39-78 (67), 85-4 (85), 52-62 (Ebdon 51), 72-14 (59).