Wonder pot the turning point for defeated Doherty

Irish snooker star Ken Doherty was left to rue an excellent pot by world champion Shaun Murphy, who went on to beat him 6-5 at the Saga Insurance Masters tonight.

Murphy, who trailed Doherty 5-3 at one point, produced a spirited fightback against to earn a quarter-final showdown with Grand Prix champion John Higgins.

“I went for a couple of shots that I shouldn’t have but I didn’t win the World Championship be refusing pots,” said Murphy.

A superb pot on a long red gave Murphy the opportunity to clinch the match and he admitted as much afterwards.

“It was a defining moment. The pocket looked really big and I thought I’d throw all my eggs into one basket,” he added.

“I couldn’t believe he went for that shot [the long red],” admitted Doherty.

“There’s not many players who would take that on, but fair play to him. It was a great shot and in the last three frames I didn’t do much wrong.

“It’s hard to go down in the last frame because I didn’t get a chance.

“I did have a chance to kill of the match when I was 5-3 ahead, but he snookered me and I didn’t too much wrong after that.”

Murphy started the better and Doherty found himself a frame behind after last season’s Crucible winner pocketed a superb 101 break in the opener of the evening.

But the Dubliner levelled with a 42 run, before the next two frames were shared.

Murphy had a 59 break for 2-1, while Doherty pinched the fourth frame as it drifted towards the half-hour mark.

A scrappy fifth went Murphy’s way, before Doherty then moved up a gear to knock in 77 break.

World number 11 Doherty then went ahead for the first time in the match and gave himself a two-frame advantage.

Murphy responded with a splendid 80 break and then squared the match with a 51 run in the 10th frame to send the match into a nerve-racking decider.

And, with a nerveless 86 break, it was Murphy who booked himself a deserved slot in the next round.

“I didn’t want to back down from my normal game because that’s brought me my success,” said Murphy. “I’m happy to be in the last eight. It was nice to show under pressure that I could pot balls.”

Snooker legend Jimmy White made his last appearance at the Wembley Conference Centre today after a 6-3 defeat today against John Higgins.

Londoner White, the world number eight and 1984 champion, faltered on home turf as, despite leading 2-1, he could not contain Higgins.

“My safety was abysmal, and that meant I didn’t have many chances,” said White.