Doherty poised for more drama

Ken Doherty and drama have gone hand-in-hand at the Embassy World Championship so far and there will be plenty of sweaty palms again among his supporters in Sheffield this afternoon.

In the space of two hours last night, Doherty went from the brink of the biggest ever Crucible quarter-final victory to the precipice of the greatest ever Crucible collapse.

And it would take a brave man to predict the outcome of his monumental match against brave Scot John Higgins.

Wishaw wizard Higgins has already saved face by storming back from 10-0 down to 10-6.

The 27-year-old world number four still requires seven of the remaining nine frames to achieve the finest recovery seen since the championships moved to Sheffield in 1977.

Welshman Mark Williams manoeuvred his way into a 10-6 lead the more conventional way against seven-times champion Stephen Hendry.

Defending champion Peter Ebdon, playing for a place against Doherty or Higgins, re-starts level against Paul Hunter at 4-4.

And Stephen Lee and Marco Fu, bidding to meet Williams or Hendry in the last four, also cannot be separated after the opening eight frames.