Dechawat Thais up Crucible win

Dechawat Poomjaeng lit up the Crucible Theatre today with a giantkilling of Stephen Maguire that won him a legion of new fans.

The world number 70 - known as Jack to his friends - stole a famous 10-9 win against another of the tournament's big favourites, but this was only half the story.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Dechawat's debut on the biggest stage was a breath of fresh air. The public have found one of the game's real unearthed characters here.

His performance was superb and the match made for compelling viewing. The Thai wore his heart on his sleeve throughout and beamed a great big smile from start to finish. He's as animated as any player I've seen at the Crucible, interacting with the crowd and putting on a great show of entertainment.

He enjoyed every moment of his win, and so he should. Dechawat won four matches just to book his place Sheffield and his remarkable run is still going.

This afternoon's BBC commentator called him the Mr Bean of Thailand. There was never a dull moment as he bantered with the crowd and laid bare every emotion.

His celebrations at the end of the match showed just how much this meant to him. This win comes as huge shock and again shows the great depth of quality in the sport.

Dechawat has a good all-round game and really trusts his technique. This match couldn't be decided over the allotted two sessions. Instead, they had to come back late at night with Poomjaeng leading 9-8. The pressure must have excruciating, but he found a way.

He is very methodical player and when the heat was on gave every shot the care and attention it deserved. He ran out of position a few times but stayed on the attack and grabbed his opportunity. He remained very composed, even when the biggest victory of his career was just in his midst.

Whatever happens from here, people will always remember Dechawat at this year's World Championship. His antics were enjoyed by everyone in the crowd.

He has shown he is another of snooker's great characters.