Peter Ebdon - second title of the season (Allsport)

REGAL SCOTTISH MASTERS

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Peter Ebdon's odds on becoming world champion for the first time will be shortened dramatically after Sunday night's win in the £441,000 Regal Scottish Open.

Ebdon, recently quoted at 28-1 to capture snooker's ultimate prize, defeated Ken Doherty 9-7 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre to win his second ranking tournament of the season.

In doing so, the world number 12 from Wellingborough denied his Irish rival a third ranking title in a row to place him alongside Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in the record books.

Ebdon needed six-and-a-half hours to lift the trophy but the effort was worthwhile for the father of four.

His reward was a cheque for £62,000 and cements his place in the top eight for next season.

"I thought this might be the final I won convincingly," said Ebdon, who defeated Doherty to win his first ever ranking title, the 1993 Rothmans Grand Prix in Reading.

"Fair play to Ken, he completely shut me out of the game. It became very disjointed and scrappy.

"I set myself a target of winning two ranking tournaments this season and now I've achieved that goal," added Ebdon, a winner of the British Open in Plymouth last September.

"I would love to re-establish myself as a top-four player again and the way I have played here this week and in Ireland I must have a good chance of achieving that."

Doherty was philosophical after missing the opportunity to write his name in the record books.

"Peter played better than me," said the disappointed Dubliner after suffering his first defeat in a ranking tournament this year.

"Unfortunately for me, I never reached any major heights, which is disappointing. Sometimes it goes like that," added the Welsh Open and Thailand Masters champion who had previously won 14 successive games.

"It would have been nice to have made it three wins in a row," said the runner-up, who begins his Crucible campaign a week today against Mancunian qualifier Nick Dyson.

"But if you had given me this run at the start of the season I would have bitten your hand off. I still have two trophies on the TV back home.

"Now I'm looking forward to the world championship," added Doherty after receiving his prize of £33,000.

The best part of a disappointing final was the first half when both players knocked in decent breaks, especially Ebdon who made runs of 66, 60, 55, 84 and 79.

They resumed at 4-4 but the standard dropped as the match ground to a conclusion.

Ebdon led 5-4, trailed 6-5, went back in front at 7-6 after fluking a vital pink and then led 8-7 after Doherty squandered a 33 point lead on the final red.

He had half-chances to force a decider but Ebdon it was who made the most of his opportunities to claim the penultimate major title of the 2000-2001 season.