Doherty facing Bond battle

Ken Doherty, a runner-up for the past two seasons, was struggling to win his opening match in this year’s Travis Perkins UK Championship.

Doherty, beaten 10-9 by Mark Williams in the 2002 final, resumes tonight trailing 1995 world finalist Nigel Bond 5-3.

And after losing his first match at the British Open last week the struggling Irishman is not certain to reach the last 16 at York’s Barbican Centre.

Doherty, also trounced 10-1 by Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2001 final, even led twice against his Derbyshire rival, back in action less than 12 hours after completing his first-round win over Rob Milkins.

But Bond, a former British Open champion, showed no signs of tiredness as he won four of the last frames, helped by breaks of 62 and 67.

However, Doherty never gives up, epitomised by his performance against Paul Hunter in last season’s world championship semi-final.

On that occasion he recovered from 15-9 and 16-14 down to win 17-16 – a performance which earned him the Highland Spring Achievement of the Year from the Snooker Writers’ Association.

To stay in the tournament Doherty now needs six of the remaining nine frames.

Deposed British Open champion Hunter is also labouring in his opening game against Glaswegian Stephen Maguire.

Hunter has rarely produced his best form at the UK Championship and he allowed Maguire to come back from 4-1 down to share the opening eight frames.

The Yorkshireman’s display including back-to-back breaks of 132 and 129 during an unanswered points burst of 392.

But world number 41 Maguire captured three scrappy frames to end the session on a high.

Peter Ebdon, a former UK runner-up and a semi-finalist last season, had few problems building a 6-2 first session advantage over Stuart Bingham.