Doherty - close call against Dott.
DOHERTY BATTLES THROUGH
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Ken Doherty reached the Embassy World Championship quarter-finals for a
seventh time in eight years in Sheffield on Monday - but only just.
The former world title holder from Dublin knocked out Glaswegian Graeme Dott
13-12 after nine hours and 13 minutes of play, including a 43-minute deciding
frame, making it easily the longest match of the tournament so far.
Doherty, who defeated Shaun Murphy 10-9 on the last black in the first round,
now plays John Higgins but must be back at the table at 10am tomorrow.
"I'm shattered," agreed the world number five.
"But I'm just trying to give the punters value for money. How will I relax
tonight? Maybe have a hot bath for an hour.
"There was so much pressure and tension out there," added Doherty, who faced
potential elimination when he trailed 6-1 and 7-2.
"But I should have won 13-10. In the end Graeme was looking quite confident
and I'm glad I fell over the line.
"That match is history now and hopefully I can play a lot better against
John. I will certainly need to if I have any aspirations of winning the
tournament."
Doherty resumed the day faced by a 9-7 deficit but took the first four frames
of the final session to gain a commanding position at 11-9.
Dott pinched the 21st frame for 11-10 but Doherty knocked in a half-century to
move 12-10 up.
Just when he thought he had done the hard work, Dott came back strongly. He
levelled at 12-12 as Doherty scored only nine points.
It meant a fourth-successive deciding frame for Doherty at The Crucible after
his previous win over Murphy and last season's close encounters against Mark
King and Stephen Hendry.
"I think I proved a few people wrong the way I came back," said Dott.
"When it went 7-7 people probably thought that was it and no doubt they
thought the same thing at 9-7 and 11-9.
"But I think it deserved to be 13-12. I thought I was the stronger player in
the last frame but every time I potted a long red I didn't land on anything."
Paul Hunter completed the last eight line-up with his crushing 13-6 victory over
stablemate Matthew Stevens.
Leeds-based Hunter needed just 45 minutes to put the Welshman out of his
misery after resuming with a 12-4 lead.
It is the first time Stevens has failed to reach the quarter-finals since
1997.
Hunter inflicted maximum punishment during this morning's second session when
he claimed six of the eight available frames, having started the day 6-2 up.
The final session had to be delayed as Ken Doherty and Graeme Dott slugged it
out for more than nine hours in their second round match.
In contrast Hunter and Stevens zipped through their match in half the time.
When the good friends eventually got down to business Stevens added some
respectability to the scoreline by taking the first two frames of the evening,
including a break of 101.
But Hunter knew it was only delaying the inevitable.
He said: "It was only a matter of time before I got a chance. It was nice to
have a 6-2 lead after the first session. And to be honest I would have settled
to share the second 4-4.
"But I took that 6-2 as well and Matthew had a mountain to climb.
"Besides Matthew has had his time," joked Hunter of the world number eight
from Carmarthen. "It's my turn now."
Stevens, runner-up to Mark Williams in 2000, knew he would never attain the
summit and revealed he went out for a meal and a few beers between sessions.
"I'd have probably done the same," said the world number nine who has so far
not been tested in his opening two games.
It will be different tomorrow when he begins a best of 25 frames quarter-final
against defending champion Peter Ebdon - Hunter's first appearance in the last
eight.
"I've played Peter a few times and every time I've beaten him I've gone on to
win the tournament," explained the confidant Yorkshireman.
"I'm not saying that's going to happen again but it's nice to know I've got
that sort of record against him."
With Mark Williams finishing his last 16 game against Australian Quinten Hann
with a session to spare, tonight's Crucible crowd were in danger of being
short-changed.
To the rescue came six-times world champion Steve Davis with a trick shot
exhibition while there was also a light-hearted doubles game between
professionals Ian McCulloch, Michael Holt, Nick Walker and 1995 world finalist
Nigel Bond.
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