Doherty marches into final

Ken Doherty marched into his second successive PowerHouse UK Championship final in York tonight.

But battling Scot Drew Henry made the former world champion work hard for his 9-5 win in the opening semi-final of the £615,000 event.

Doherty, who will play world champion Peter Ebdon or 1999 UK title holder Mark Williams in Sunday’s best of 19 frames final, resumed the session with a 6-2 lead.

However, world number 22 Henry, playing in only his third ranking event semi-final, took the first three frames in just 36 minutes.

Doherty, who arrived in York last week without a win to his name this season, scored only 29 points.

Glaswegian Henry made breaks of 62, 93 and 43 to reduce his arrears to 6-5. But his bid for his first major final stalled at that point.

Doherty used his vast big match experience to full use and reeled off the next three frames.

The 33-year-old Dubliner will now hope to atone for his appearance in last year’s final when he lost 10-1 to Ronnie O’Sullivan.