Doherty seals final place

Home favourite Ken Doherty booked his place in the final of the vcpoker.ie Irish Professional Snooker Championship with a 6-2 victory over Mark Allen last night.

Doherty lost the first frame after a 79 break from Allen but stormed back to win the next five, sealing the third of those frames with a 131 break, the highest of the tournament so far.

Allen delayed the inevitable by winning the seventh, but Doherty sealed the win after a missed red from Allen allowed him back to the table.

Doherty said: “It’s a much better display tonight.

“Mark Allen is a good player, a good prospect, so it was tougher. I made a few centuries, I could have made a couple of more, but I’m just delighted that I’m scoring and into the final.”

Michael Judge is set to join Doherty in today’s final. He leads Davy Morris 4-1 in the second semi-final.

Yesterday’s play was preceded by a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to Leeds player Paul Hunter, who died on Monday night after losing his battle with cancer.