Doherty taken full distance by Dott

Ken Doherty was taken the full 25-frame distance by Glaswegian Graeme Dott last night.

For a fourth successive game at the Crucible – including his 2002 13-12 quarter-final exit against Hendry – Dubliner Doherty went to the wire.

“I’m shattered,” he admitted after bringing a nine-hour marathon to a close against Dott. “I know if I have any aspirations of winning the title again then I will have to play better. I think I can.”

Higgins, successor to Doherty as world champion in 1998, has been scoring heavily throughout the first 10 days.

He twice had chances of equalling O’Sullivan’s 147 maximum break in the last round against Sean Storey.

And Doherty’s back-to-back epics against Dott and Shaun Murphy may work against the Dubliner.