Judd Trump won three of the final four frames of the first session to secure a 5-3 lead in the UK Championship final against Barry Hawkins.
But Hawkins found himself on the back foot after the interval, as Trump won three frames in a row to take the lead.
Hawkins produced a superb break in the final frame of the session to keep himself alive in the race to 10.
He knocked in a superb opening red and ran through a break of 73 to draw first blood.
After taking the opening frame in impressive fashion, it was a surprise to see Trump miss a blue to the right middle.
It handed Hawkins a scoring opportunity, and he knocked in a couple of excellent reds in a nerve-settling contribution of 116 to dispel any fears about fatigue.
‘Listen to the roar’ – Hawkins gets on the board in UK final with century break
Video credit: Eurosport
There was a false start to the third, with both agreeing to a re-rack. Trump made an adventurous break of 29 before running for baulk, and those points played to his advantage as the table turned extremely scrappy.
Trump played a telling safety to fashion a second chance, and he picked off a break of 34 to restore his lead.
The final sparked into life with a dramatic fourth frame. Trump was a hot favourite to take it after making 69, but the split of the cluster did not go to plan, and it provided a lifeline to Hawkins.
Trump’s failure to put one of the reds safe came back to bite him, as Hawkins got in and picked off a brilliant break of 70 to snatch the fourth and draw level at the interval.
Trump looked extremely frustrated as he left the arena for the interval, and was seen on the practice table.
He returned to knock in a superb opening red and while he did not kill off the fifth frame in a single visit, he got in again to edge back in front.
Trump opened up daylight when taking the sixth, but his 10th century of the tournament was only possible after Hawkins missed a green.
‘Brilliantly crafted’ – Trump makes century break against Hawkins in UK Championship final
Video credit: Eurosport
The Trump onslaught continued in the seventh, but for the third frame in a row he was let in by Hawkins.
Hawkins looked set to take the seventh, but missed the penultimate red and Trump picked his pocket to open up a three-frame lead.
Trump looked good to take a four-frame advantage into the evening, but his break came to an end at 51.
A safety battle ensued before Hawkins knocked in a stunning long red, and he solved a difficult puzzle to pick off a break of 81 and cut the gap to two heading into the evening.