Snooker: Stephen Hendry survives first-round fright at World Championship

Hendry edged it 10-9, winning the final three frames to set up a second-round clash with Mark Selby. Zhang, who was known only in the closest of snooker circles until he knocked out John Parrott and Ricky Walden in the qualifying tournament, stormed back from 4-0 and 7-5 behind to lead seven-time champion Hendry 9-7.

That put him one frame from perhaps the greatest shock the tournament has ever known, but it would have been unlike Hendry to show no resistance.

He duly made his highest break of the match – 89 – to pull one frame back and halt Zhang's four-frame winning run.

A further run of 52 helped him move all square, and then Hendry took advantage of an error from his plucky opponent in the deciding frame to cross the finishing line.

Last month 18-year-old Zhang was priced as a 2,500-1 shot to land the 2010 world title, and he will surely be back in future years as a serious contender. However, it is Hendry who has a second-round appointment to look forward to.

Hendry had carried a 5-4 lead into the concluding session, and it was assumed he would raise his levels to see off his game young opponent. But the evening session began in an ominous fashion for Hendry when he missed an easy red to middle and Zhang punished him with a frame-winning 86 break to pull level at 5-5.

Back came Hendry with a run of 65 to regain the one-frame advantage and the pressure eased when he added the next to lead 7-5.

Eventually Zhang had to take one, and he did in the 13th frame to halve Hendry's lead, clearing with a break of 35.

Runs of 28 and 41 gave him frame 14, and Zhang incredibly then went in front, for the first time in the match, after piecing together breaks of 48 and 76.

Zhang was growing in confidence as the evening continued, mixing right-handed and left-handed shots – perhaps something he has picked up while practising with Ronnie O'Sullivan in Romford.

He extended his lead with a break of 49, and that positioned him on the brink of a famous win. But Hendry did not buckle under pressure, and after hauling himself level he took full advantage when Zhang left a red in the jaws of the top pocket midway through the deciding frame.

A break of 55 meant he had amazingly grappled his way clear from the jaws of defeat.