Irish Masters: Cautious Ken knows Davis clash won't be easy

A cautious Ken Doherty isn't taking anything for granted in advance of his Irish Masters clash with Steve Davis.

"Steve isn't going to make it easy for me," said the Welsh Open and Thailand Masters champion.

"He's given me a few thumpings over the years and I hope he doesn't play out of his boots against me."

Steve Davis will hope to avoid the same fate as Jimmy White when he makes what could be a farewell appearance at the City West Irish Masters in Dublin.

Like White, Davis has failed to qualify for the final stages of next month's Embassy World Championship.

Unlike White, Davis is still in contention for a £75,000 first prize on Sunday night, but only by virtue of having so far not played a match at the City West Hotel.

The disappointment of missing out on the Crucible weighed heavily on White's shoulders during yesterday's 6-4 defeat by Alan McManus.

It remains to be seen whether Davis, six times a winner at Sheffield, has recovered from his final qualifying round demise against Andy Hicks in Newport last month.

His opening game couldn't be any tougher.

To reach the quarter-finals Davis, languishing at number 20 on the provisional world standings, must defeat Doherty.

Dubliner Doherty is unbeaten in 10 successive ranking tournament matches and fancies his chances of a third major title on the trot.

Doherty has only one Irish Masters to his name and that came by default in 1998 after Ronnie O'Sullivan was stripped of his title following a positive drugs test.

The weight of expectancy from the home crowd on Doherty's shoulders increased with the demise of his fellow Dubliner Fergal O'Brien.