Doherty on target for victory in Malta

Revitalised veteran Ken Doherty was more than halfway towards his first world ranking title in five years after taking charging of the Malta Cup final today.

The 36-year-old Irishman, by far the best player in the event overall, established a 5-2 lead over John Higgins after the first session of their best-of-17-frames contest at the five-star Portomaso Hilton on the shores of the Mediterranean.