Quinten Hann showed a glimpse of his darker side today before regaining his composure to keep alive hopes of reaching round two at the Embassy World Championship in Sheffield.

The Australian, a former male model, has been involved in his fair share of controversy since his emergence on the circuit and another incident was added to the portfolio in his opening session against Paul Hunter.

World number 25 Hann has acquired a reputation for adopting a defeatist attitude when things are going against him, even conceeding a frame with 13 reds left on the table during a match against Stephen Lee in Ireland.

There was no sign of any frustration today when he won frame three to trail 2-1 against Hunter, and he shared a joke with referee Jan Verhaas when the half-butt became tangled up in a pocket.

But after ninth seed Hunter had moved 4-1 ahead, Hann broke off in frame six by smashing the cue ball into the pack of reds as if it was a game of pool. The reds scattered across the table and inevitably double Masters champion Hunter was left with a simple chance to make a sizeable break, knocking in a 77 to extend his lead further.

Former world champion Dennis Taylor described Hann's shot as "bordering on ungentlemanly conduct" as the 24-year-old, who is set to claim a place in the world's top 16 for next season, sat in his chair looking forlorn.

But rather than give up the fight as he had done against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2000 Grand Prix at Telford - earning a reprimand for unprofessional behaviour - Hann regrouped and won the next two frames to be 5-3 down. Hunter, still recovering from an operation in which he had four non-malignant cysts removed from his testicles, then compiled a break of 73 to go into tonight's final session 6-3 ahead.

One in the eye for Harold

In this morning's other match, Nottingham's Anthony Hamilton staged a fine recovery to hit back from 4-1 down to 5-4 ahead against Dave Harold of Stoke.

World number 15 Harold, who has struggled badly this season and looks almost certain to lose his place in the top 16, started impressively .

In the first five frames he recorded breaks of 101, 72 and, most significantly, a 135 which equalled the best of the tournament so far from Matthew Stevens.

But then Hamilton, known as the Robin Hood of snooker, got his act together and a run of 97 was the highlight as he captured four successive frames to hold the advantage for tomorrow morning's concluding session.