Snooker: Ebdon dashes Doherty title hopes

Peter Ebdon wrecked Ken Doherty’s hopes of landing his home title for the first time by defeating the Dubliner 6-3 in the Citywest Irish Masters today.

Doherty, a finalist in 1992 and 1998, was hoping to become the first player from the Irish Republic to pick up the trophy in 25 stagings of the invitation event.

But the 1997 world champion failed to find anything approaching top form as the notoriously methodical Ebdon controlled the pace from the outset.

‘‘I never got going at all,’’ a dejected Doherty said. ‘‘It was a very scrappy affair and disappointing for me and for the crowd.

‘‘It was hard to get into it and when you’re not playing well you lose control of the cue ball and make all sort of mistakes.

‘‘I don’t think Peter played that well himself but he didn’t need to.’’

Doherty managed a highest break of just 36 in a match similar to the long drawn out Regal Scottish Open final the pair contested 11 months ago.

Ebdon won 9-7 on that occasion, which was another disjointed contest, and history was repeated over almost four hours of combat.

The match ground to 3-3 with just one half century before Ebdon came to life with runs of 104 and 84.

A 46 was decisive in the world number seven adding the ninth as well to secure a place in the final with £65,000 awaiting the winner.

Ebdon, who won the title seven years ago, later claimed that the reason the match had been slow was because Doherty had made it that way.

‘‘Ken is such a good tactician that he likes to make the game scrappy because he’s very adept in that sort of situation,’’ he said.

‘‘It wasn’t the prettiest snooker and I wasn’t able to score as heavily as I did in my earlier matches.

‘‘But I’m delighted to get through to the final because this has always been one of my favourite tournaments and winning the title in 1995 was one of best moments as a professional.’’

Ebdon was waiting for the winner of Saturday’s other semi-final between world number three John Higgins and Welshman Matthew Stevens.