Wu Yize held off a Shaun Murphy fightback to ensure he will take a slender 13-12 lead into the concluding session of their World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Having watched Wu deliver a succession of big breaks to pull clear at 10-7 overnight, Murphy emphatically roared back into contention in the best-of-35-frames final on Monday afternoon.
The Englishman, who was crowned champion in 2005 and is aiming to set a new record for the longest gap between first and second titles, reeled off the first five frames on offer with breaks of 76, 52, 59 and 60.
However, he was given a huge helping hand by his 22-year-old opponent, who initially appeared to be carrying the weight of the occasion on his shoulders.
With his trademark long-potting ability conspicuous by its absence, Wu repeatedly left Murphy opportunities to capitalise.
To his credit, Wu stopped the rot in the 23rd frame of the match – crafting an important break of 64 after Murphy left a red over the right corner.
That shifted the momentum back in Wu’s favour, allowing him to limit the damage.
Wu, who could become the second-youngest world champion at snooker’s most famous venue, levelled the match after a contribution of 46 and then regained the lead with runs of 60 and 61 in the final frame of the session.
It means that there will only be one frame separating the finalists when they return at 19:00 BST – the first time that has happened since 2014, when Mark Selby eventually defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14.