Snooker: Five-star Doherty powers towards Malta semi-finals
Ken Doherty maintained a 100pc record as he motored towards the semi-finals of the Malta Cup with another five-star performance at the Portomaso Hilton yesterday, WRITES PHIL YATES.
Only the leading player from the five-man Group 2 will secure a place in the tournament's knockout phase and Doherty is now firmly on course with two wins in as many matches.
After beating Hong Kong's Marco Fu 4-2 on Monday, Doherty remained in the groove with a 4-2 success over Stephen Lee.
"I've got to be pleased with the way I'm playing. I'm feeling nice and relaxed at the moment," said Doherty, who produced sustained scoring after losing the opening frame.
Runs of 82, 81 and a 134 total clearance gave Doherty a 3-1 lead, Lee took frame five with breaks of 44 and 61 but wasted three clear-cut opportunities to force a draw.
From Lee's third blunder in the decisive sixth frame, a missed blue to a top corner pocket, Doherty stepped in with a confident 78 clearance to claim full points.
"It was a good feeling to finish the match like that and make a century in the fourth frame as well. I was struggling to make big breaks for a long time earlier this season," he said.
