Alan McManus set up a revenge clash with defending champion Peter Ebdon after giving his Scottish supporters an openingday victory at the £180,000 Regal Masters in Motherwell yesterday.
Glaswegian McManus, forced to qualify for this year's tournament despite two final appearances in the last four years, edged out Mark Williams 5-4 in a high quality first-round contest.
"I was a little surprised I wasn't given a wild card considering my record here," said the world number 10.
Only the world's top eight ranked professionals receive automatic entry into the first major domestic event of the season.
McManus, beaten by Ebdon in the 1996 final, made a great start but after leading 2-0 he conceded three in a row to the 22-year-old Grand Prix and Regal Welsh Open champion.
He lost the third from 70-0 up, the fourth after receiving a `kick' on the black when in prime position and the fifth when he went inoff after potting the third-last red.
Undeterred, McManus fought back to level at 3-3 and then again at 4-4 before winning a 15-minute decider.
"I was lucky in the last frame," admitted the 26-year-old Scot. "I played a few bad shots and got away with them each time.
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