England's Raj Hundal was tonight crowned 888.com World Pool Masters Champion as he performed an epic comeback to take down America's Rodney Morris after finding himself 7 - 1 down in the race to eight rack final.
Morris, who had performed a similar great escape in his semi-final match with Alex Pagulayan, had built up a 6 - 0 lead leaving Hundal parked in his chair for the duration, but succumbed to a magnificent comeback from the gutsy Londoner.
The 23 year-old Hundal, who beat Niels Feijen, Roman Hybler and Thomas Engert en route to the final, picked up a cheque for $20,000 - the biggest win of his career.
Despite the magnitude of his victory, things could not have started worse for Hundal as he edged the lag but got an unlucky kick on the 9-ball which allowed Morris to deposit it himself to take the opener and the American further increased his lead as he ran out from the break in the next.
Taking up from where he left off in his semi-final match against Alex Pagulayan, the Rocket ran out the next also to increase his lead to 3 - 0.
Morris ran into trouble in the latter stages of the next rack but avoided the scratch when pocketing the 8-ball to set him up for a tough long pot off the rail on 9-ball to take the rack and get to 4 - 0.
Things looked ominous for Hundal as Morris comfortably cleared up in the next to go 5 - 0 ahead and English hopes took another massive blow as Morris did the same thing in the next.
Hundal had a glimmer of a chance in the seventh rack when Morris was hooked following the break. The American's safety left a very tough two ball on, but sensing that his chances were slim, Hundal took it on and set up a run out to go 6 - 1.
Disaster struck though in the next as Hundal scratched on the break and Morris ran through the table to get to the hill at 7 - 1.
Breaking, Morris made two balls on the break but missed a long cut on the 1 ball and Hundal grabbed his chance with both hands to stay in the match.
Looking confident, Hundal broke and ran out the next rack to reduce the deficit to 7 - 3 and made his way through a tricky layout to get to 7 - 4 and give himself half a chance. He then took the next to go 7 - 5.
The London-based Hundal was forced to play a safe in the next and laid an excellent snooker and although Morris escaped, Hundal misplaced his safety to give Morris a shot at victory.
However, feeling the pressure Morris scratched as the cue ball overran into the middle pocket and with ball-in-hand Hundal cleared up to take it to 7 - 6.
There was more joy for Hundal and his army of fans in the next as he kept his nerve to run out and take the match to seven racks apiece to set up a nail-biting final rack.
For Hundal it was a formality as he smoothly cleared to the 9-ball before Morris conceded it to give Hundal a famous come-from-behind victory and with it the title of 888.com World Pool Masters champion.
Morris was magnanimous in defeat; "I guess what goes around comes around but that's pool. I don't mind losing to Raj though because he's a cool guy!"
"He made it look easy - he had a great break and made some tough shots under pressure. I take my hat off too him."
For Hundal it was a moment to savour; "It was the best day of my career but now I'm just lost for words, It's never over until that last 9-ball goes down and I'm a fighter and I'll keep fighting until the end."
