UK Championship: Peter Ebdon shocks Stuart Bingham
- Published
UK Championship |
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Venue: York Barbican Dates: 24 November-6 December |
BBC coverage: Watch on BBC Two, Red Button, BBC Sport website, Connected TVs, tablets, mobiles and app from 28 November. |
Peter Ebdon recovered from just five hours sleep to record a shock third-round UK Championship win over reigning world champion Stuart Bingham.
Ebdon, 45, only finished his second-round match at 01:30 GMT on Monday, but said he felt "fantastic" as won 6-3.
"I've probably had four or five bananas today, some apples, grapes - I feel as fresh as a daisy," said vegan Ebdon.
World number one Mark Selby survived a thrilling late night final-frame finish to beat Welshman Jamie Jones 6-5.
The Leicester man trailed 2-0, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 but showed all his renowned battling ability to pull through.
Selby's only half-century came in frame three until a high-pressure clearance of 67 sealed a trademark comeback victory.
"Jamie deserved to win the match," said Selby, who had not lost a frame in his first two rounds. "I was just scraping through and I don't know how I won the game.
"The last frame was the best frame I played all match, right at the end when I needed to."
Jones added: "I just can't really believe I am sat here as a loser.
"I think I was the better player and could have won 6-2 but he always hangs on and that is the sign of a champion."
Selby's stunning comeback meant the biggest surprise of the day came in the afternoon session when Ebdon saw off 2015 Crucible champion Bingham.
"It would have been so easy for me to fold today," said Ebdon, the 2002 world champion and 2006 UK Champion.
"I love playing on the big stage and am over the moon to get through. I don't really feel like a snooker player when I play in the smaller events."
The veteran showed no tiredness and, after a cagey start, he closed out a 6-3 win with a classy 109 in the final frame.
"Peter played really well. He got in first most frames and controlled the tempo," World number two Bingham, 39, told BBC Sport.
"He rolled back the years there, particularly in the last frame with that ton."
Basildon's Bingham, the world number two, has struggled to find his best form since winning at the Crucible but had been impressive in winning through to the last 32.
There were also wins for three-time champion John Higgins, who brushed aside Ali Carter 6-2, and Northern Ireland's Joe Swail, who thrashed Michael Holt 6-1.
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