Peter Ebdon, snooker's intense, emotional loner, who started the Embassy World Championships as a 33-1 outsider, won the title for the first time here last night when he defeated the seven times champion Stephen Hendry 18-17.

Even by Sheffield's excruciating, nocturnal standards this was a thriller. And when it was over Edbon, surrounded by his family, broke down in tears in scenes that evoked the second win by Alex Higgins in 1982. "This is the moment I've been thinking and dreaming of for 17 years," he said. "I must be a very slow learner."

The deciding frame was littered by nervous mistakes by both players before a break of 59 put Ebdon in a commanding position leading 63-6, when he missed a red down the rail. But Hendry, the greatest player in the history of the game according to informed opinion, was as nervous as his rival and when he potted the white for the second time in the frame he let Ebdon in for a 72-14 victory.

It was only the third time the final had gone to the last frame, matching the famous 1985 match between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis and the 1994 climax when Hendry beat Jimmy White.

For Ebdon, 31, who owns two retired thoroughbreds and had planned to devote more time to racing, this was sweet revenge for his 1996 final defeat at the hands of Hendry. The Scot, whose dismal form on Sunday suggested he might struggle to find his waistcoat pocket with his chalk, had transformed the final by winning six frames out of seven in the afternoon. His normal, curdled features even broke into a fragile, Stan Laurel-like smile as he rediscovered something of the form that had won him a record seven world titles.

But when the final session of these championships started last night the players were locked together on 12 frames each. Hendry won the opening frame to go ahead for the first time in more than seven hours of snooker. When Hendry won the next frame, despite missing a simple red after an opening break of 38, he led 14-12 and with the balls running sympathetically, the match appeared to be his.

However, Ebdon won four of the next five frames. First he had a break of 103 to the black and then a safety mistake by Hendry presented Ebdon with a simple red and he levelled at 14-14. A break of 58 gave Hendry the next frame but Ebdon levelled once more before a break of 111 to the yellow put him 16-15 ahead. A fluent 67 to the black by Hendry made it 16-16. But then the former multiple champion missed a red to the middle and a break of 85 put Ebdon ahead once more. Ebdon appeared to have the match at his mercy until he missed a straight black to set up the final frame thriller.