By John Curtis, PA Sport

Outsider Joe Swail revived his hopes of reaching his first Embassy World Championship final with a stirring comeback against Matthew Stevens at the Crucible Theatre.

Swail, the first Northern Ireland player to play in the semi-finals for 15 years, looked dead and buried when Stevens took the first two frames of the evening session to stretch his overall lead to 12-6.

That left the Welshman needing just five more frames to secure victory - and at that juncture there was a possibility of him wrapping up the best of 33 frames match with a session to spare.

But 30-year-old Swail rallied in tremendous fashion and won five of the last six frames to reduce his deficit to 13-11.

It delighted the capacity 970 audience who have warmed to Swail during the past fortnight and now the first couple of frames will be vital when the match resumes on Saturday afternoon.

Stevens looked set to run away with the match as breaks of 35 and 73 helped him to win the first two frames of the session and Swail looked out of sorts.

But he began his comeback with runs of 34 and 40 in frame 19 and then took the next with the aid of a 46 after Stevens had looked set to pinch theframe.

He had trailed 55-8 but the five reds were well placed for Stevens to cash in before he missed a crucial pink into the centre pocket.

Swail made it a hat-trick of frames with a break of 79 to the final brown only for Stevens to take the next after his opponent had potted a black but then unluckily cannoned a red into the middle bag.

That restored the four frame advantage of the Welshman but Swail replied with a 68 clearance to the final pink in the 23rd before triumphing in a ding-dong final frame.

Swail led by 43 with 35 left on the table but failed to get out of two snookers which meant Stevens could force a re-spotted black with a clearance.

But he went in-off trying to make the brown safe and in stepped Swail to grab his lifeline and set up a potentially gripping final session.