Doherty hopes to complete great Irish weekend

Ken Doherty says he would love to be one half of an Irish sporting success story in Dublin this weekend.

Just a couple of hours before his compatriots tackle Scotland in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at Lansdowne Road, Doherty bids to reach the final of the Citywest Irish Masters.

The country’s rugby union stars are hoping to land the triple crown while Doherty must beat Mark King followed by Peter Ebdon or Quinten Hann to become Masters champion.

None of today’s last-four survivors have won a major title this season while King and Australian Hann have never lifted a trophy in their careers.

Hann made it into the last four of a ranking event for the first time last night beating twice Irish Masters champion John Higgins 6-4.

Ebdon, without a piece of silverware since the 2002 World Championship, knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan helped by the Rocket’s bizarre decision to concede a frame when just 30-0 down and with 11 reds remaining.

A Doherty-Ebdon final looks favourite tomorrow given the inexperience of their opponents at the business end of tournaments but the week so far has been characterised by a succession of surprise results including Hann’s defeat of world number four Higgins.

Of the quartet, Ebdon has played the most consistent snooker. He may have been helped by O’Sullivan’s impatience for an interval cup of tea but he also produced breaks of 60, 92, 83 and 65 in his 6-2 success.

“As I have said before this season I have been practising regularly with the young Chinese kid Ding Junhui,” said Ebdon.

“He is an amazing player and has really sharpened my game up. I have also got my wife Deborah coming over here this weekend and it will be great to spend time with her away from the kids when my match is over,” added the father-of-four.

Hann had already booked a flight back to London before facing Higgins last night. He reckons he is going to re-book it for tomorrow morning, and said: “I don’t think I will beat Ebdon.”

However, the world number 14 from Melbourne has every chance if he shows the same form as he did against Higgins.

Only when the enormity of what he was about to achieve hit home did 26-year-old Hann begin to tighten up.

But he survived a couple of careless positional shots on the final colours to make it ninth time lucky and become the first Australian for 14 years – since Warren King in the Mercantile Classic – to reach a ranking semi-final.

Doherty and King enjoyed their day’s break from the event. The weight of expectancy is certainly on the world number six who hails from the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh.

“I really want to win it because I know it means so much to the people,” said the 1997 world champion, who is always cheered throughout the Citywest venue on his way to the arena.

“But Mark has beaten some great players this week so I dare not take anything for granted.”

Indeed, King has knocked out three top-16 players, including Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White, on his way to only his third appearance in the last four.

The world number 22 from Romford also holds the highest break with 137 and said: “Mentally, my head is right and I believe I can win.”

But it will be a weekend of celebration for the Irish if Eddie O’Sullivan’s men and Doherty can complete a rugby union-snooker double.