Neil Robertson leads Barry Hawkins 5-3 after the opening session of the Cazoo Masters final at Alexandra Palace.
Despite being the better player for much of the afternoon, the 2012 champion had to dig deep to establish a two-frame advantage, Hawkins keeping in touch when winning the fourth frame to level at 2-2, and then again when finding himself 4-2 down but managing to share the final two frames of the session.
Having only managed a single break of over 50 in the opening eight frames, Hawkins will no doubt be pleased to have kept his hopes alive ahead of this evening's final session, though he will be well aware he needs to raise his game sharply in order to overcome the Australian, whose famed scoring was as destructive as ever.
Hawkins actually drew first blood when claiming a cagey first frame, but Robertson soon clicked into gear and responded with runs of 41 and 50, before leading 2-1 thanks to a brilliant hand of 105 in the following frame.
Robertson might have been left frustrated when Hawkins pegged him back prior to the mid-session interval, but a brace of 54 breaks then allowed the Australian to put together consecutive frames and threaten to take total control of the match.
As it was, Hawkins enjoyed a huge slice of luck on the brown in frame seven to ensure Robertson didn't have things all his own way, though in signing off with a solid contribution of 73, it was the latter who finished the stronger and put himself in pole position to claim what would be the second Masters crown of his career.