Ken Doherty stretched his unbeaten run in ranking tournaments to 11 matches with a 5-2 win over Thailand's James Wattana at the £441,000 Regal Scottish Open. The former world champion, winner of the Welsh Open and Thailand Masters this year, now plays countryman Michael Judge for a place in the quarter-finals.
“Confidence is such a big part of this game and every time I go out on the table I feel I am going to win,” said the Dubliner.
Ulsterman Joe Swail, the world number 16, cruised into round three with a 5-1 victory over Scotland's Billy Snaddon. Swail reached the semi-finals of last season's World Championship but did not then win a match in a ranking tournament during the first half of the 2000-2001 campaign.
Since Christmas the Manchester-based professional has arrested his decline without threatening to lift a major title. “I've been practising hard all year but people have played better than me and there's not a lot you can do about that,” he said.
Swail's reward for his opening win in the competition is a match against seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry or qualifier Ali Carter who meet at the Exhibition and Conference Centre this evening.
Filed by Seán Folan
