BBC SPORT | Other Sports | Snooker | World Champs 2002

Peter Ebdon's final-frame victory over Stephen Hendry provided a nail-biting climax to what has been hailed as the best ever World Snooker Championship.

But it was not the first time the Crucible crowd - and a captivated BBC audience - have tasted the drama of a 35th-frame decider.

Ebdon's triumph completed a hat-trick of cliffhangers after Dennis Taylor's thrilling black-ball victory against Steve Davis in 1985 and Hendry's last-gasp defeat of Jimmy White in 1994.

1985: Dennis Taylor 18-17 Steve Davis

Davis looked on his way to a comfortable victory after winning the first eight frames of the final.

But Taylor fought back to level at 11-11 on the second afternoon before twice recovering from two down to make it 17-17.

Stephen Hendry with the trophy in 1994
Hendry has featured in two final-frame finishes
The tense deciding frame lasted 68 minutes and was watched on the BBC by a record audience of 18.5m.

Taylor potted the brown, blue and pink to force a black ball finish but looked to have lost it when he let Davis back in.

But Davis overcut the black to the corner pocket with the cue ball close to the side cushion and Taylor made no mistake, celebrating his triumph with a joyous bout of cue shaking and finger wagging.

1994: Stephen Hendry 18-17 Jimmy White

Of White's four Crucible final defeats by Hendry, this was the most painful.

Hendry led 5-1 at one stage but White recovered to take a 10-9 lead.

Neither player could establish more than a two-frame advantage and at 17-17 the match came down to a tension-filled decider.

Hendry got in first but failed to capitalise and White looked set for victory as he embarked on a seemingly straightforward clearance.

But The Whirlwind missed a simple black and Hendry accepted the gift to claim his fourth title.