Doherty delighted by return to form
John Higgins, installed as favourite for the Travis Perkins UK Championship after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s exit, was knocked out by a rejuvenated Ken Doherty in York.
The Scot, winner of the season’s only previous ranking tournament, had been in superb form but came up against an opponent who played his best snooker for two and a half years in the 9-6 third-round victory.
Doherty began the match with a 107 break which set the tone for his performance, added two further centuries and took three consecutive frames from 6-6 with some flawless potting that never gave Higgins a chance to fight back.
“That’s the best I’ve played since losing the World Championship final in 2003,” said the Irishman, who has struggled since that 18-16 defeat to Mark Williams.
“I’ve had a very frustrating time because I don’t feel any different from then apart from my confidence levels. For some reason that final knocked the stuffing out of me and it has taken a long time to get back.
“It’s nice to get a resounding win on television against a player at the top of his form. I was fed up of having to talk to the press about defeats I’ve had but now I’m as chirpy as a parrot!”
Higgins admitted there was little he could have done to stop the man who, in 1997, preceded him as world champion and was his victim in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre the following year.
“Ken played fantastic snooker,” said the world number six. “I can’t recall him missing a ball when he had a chance of making a break and when someone does that it makes it very difficult for you.
“I didn’t do a hell of a lot wrong and ultimately you have to realise it’s just a game, especially when you see guys battling with cancer.”
That reference was, of course, to Paul Hunter, whose dream of success in front of his home crowd was quickly ended – but the 27-year-old insisted he had plenty to look forward to.
The world number five resumed his match against Chinese sensation Ding Junhui trailing 7-1 and, after providing a glimpse of his true form with a break of 58 to win frame 10, he bowed out with a 9-2 defeat.
Although he showed the chemotherapy treatment he is undergoing has not completely ravaged his game by winning his opening match of the tournament, Hunter was handicapped by the lack of feeling in his body and could offer little resistance to his emerging 18-year-old opponent.
But he also has plenty on his mind too – less than ideal for such a mental game as snooker – and it is certainly not all negative, the Leeds player’s thoughts immediately turned to becoming a father for the first time just after Christmas.
“I’m disappointed to have been beaten and disappointed that I’ve got cancer, but happy that I won a match here and happy that I’ve got a baby coming,” said Hunter, whose wife Lindsey is due to give birth on December 27.
“I’m looking forward to the 27th and hopefully my son or daughter can inspire me to play well in the new year. It’s tough at the moment but I’ll keep going to tournaments and keep trying.”
Hunter’s chemotherapy will continue until the end of February and it will be six months after that before he can expect to have regained full health.
“The doctors say you have to try to live your life as normally as possible but it’s difficult when you are having chemo,” added Hunter. “You get tired very easily, although I’m not having as much sickness now as I did in the summer.
“I just wanted to play something like I could here but I didn’t. You need a clear mind to play snooker and I haven’t got that, but I still kept fighting.
“It’s frustrating when you know what you can do and you can’t keep still on a shot. I felt like I had someone else’s arms.”
Ding, who won the China Open as an amateur last season, has lost only eight frames in his three matches at the Barbican Centre and is a live contender for the title. His next opponent will be either world champion Shaun Murphy or rising Australian star Neil Robertson.
The bottom half of the draw is wide open after the defeat of world number one O’Sullivan and it will be no surprise if either Ding or Stuart Bingham graces Sunday’s final.
Bingham became the second man through to the last eight with a 9-2 rout of his practice partner Mark Davis which provided further evidence that he is shedding his journeyman tag.
Stephen Hendry had mocked his close friend Mark Williams’ attitude to practice before they embarked on their last-16 clash and the Scot proved his point as he opened a 6-2 lead.
The seven times former world champion had struggled to beat James Wattana yesterday but hit form with a vengeance, knocking in breaks of 136, 94 and five more of 40 plus as Williams failed to score in four of the eight frames.
