Ali Carter leads Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-3 after an engrossing opening session to their Masters final at Alexandra Palace.
O'Sullivan started the match as hot favourite to add to his UK Championship success at York last month, and victory at Alexandra Palace would be a record eighth at the Masters and also keep alive his hopes of winning all three Triple Crown events in the same season.
But in a breathless first eight frames in North London, it was Carter who took early control with a high-class display which featured two centuries, taking his tally to eight for the week already.
Nine would be a record, and it would be a brave man to bet against him achieving that feat and going on to claim his maiden Triple Crown title, having finished runner-up here in 2020 and also twice at the World Championship, most recently when losing to O'Sullivan in the final in 2012.
It was O'Sullivan who drew first blood by dominating the opening frame, but Carter hit straight back with a superb 106 after forcing the mistake from his opponent with a terrific, aggressive safety shot, and he was largely on top thereafter.
An unlucky in-off in frame three wasn't enough to stop Carter taking the lead, and though O'Sullivan responded with a mesmeric clearance of 125, he didn't look the same player after the mid-session interval.
The ultra-attacking approach O'Sullivan has adopted all week continued to offer Carter a helping hand, and a clearance of 122 moved him back in front, before he extended his lead to 4-2 after O'Sullivan missed a tricky green played left handed when threatening to pinch the sixth frame.
A typically rapid run of 86 reduced the deficit to 4-3, but O'Sullivan was unable to get out of the session all square as Carter kept his cool to finish with a priceless break of 74 that means he will resume this evening nursing a two-frame advantage.
