Snooker: Doherty chalks up sparkling comeback victory
Wearing a pair of lucky black and white shoes, Ken Doherty waltzed into the semi-finals of the Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley Arena last night with one of the finest comebacks of his career.
New father Doherty looked destined to make a quick return to nappy duty when he trailed 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy 4-1 but, suddenly striking peak form at the right time, he stormed through to win 6-5.
And Doherty finished in considerable style, chalking up three century breaks in the closing four frames, including the highest of the tournament so far.
"It's a long time since I've played that well, especially on a big stage like this," said Doherty, only now showing his true colours after an otherwise frustrating season.
"I've been practising really hard to try and pull myself out of this slump and now I'm seeing the fruits of those labours. It's very pleasing and really encouraging."
Doherty, who sowed the seeds for his revival with a 6-2 victory over Mark Williams in the previous round on Tuesday, added: "This game is all about confidence and the way I played against Mark really boosted me in that regard.
"I'm not exaggerating but that's one of my best performances. It wasn't just the result but the way I played to achieve it. I'm really buzzing now, I can tell you."
Murphy, a semi-finalist in the Grand Prix, Northern Ireland Trophy and UK Championship this season, was seemingly on course for a runaway win when he established a 4-1 lead but Doherty's renowned fighting qualities came to the fore.
Stealing the seventh frame on the pink was crucial but the high point of his recovery was the 141 total clearance with which he tied the scores at 4-4 and became frontrunner for the event's €15,000 high break bonus.
Doherty then hit the front at 5-4 with a run of 114 and led 52-0 in frame ten when Murphy bravely stroked in a difficult red to a middle pocket to embark on the 70 clearance that guaranteed a decider.
The momentum appeared to have swung but Doherty defied the mounting pressure to construct a classy 123 break and set up a semi-final against Mark Selby, an Englishman making his Masters debut.
Doherty's three centuries came from nowhere as in his first six tournaments of the season he had recorded only two in total.
Selby, runner-up to John Higgins at the Crucible last year, secured his place in the last four with a 6-5 victory over Stephen Maguire from 5-3 down.
- Phil Yates
