Ken Doherty thrilled the partisan local crowd with a hard fought 6-4 victory over Stephen Lee to earn a semi-final clash with Peter Ebdon at the Irish Masters at Dublin's CityWest Hotel late on Thursday night. The Dubliner became the first Irish player to win at the event since he reached the final in 1998, and it took all his talent and patience to see off the recent LG Cup champion after a marathon contest.
Lee made the highest break, a run of 90, in the fourth frame to draw level at 2-2 and sunk pink and black to force a respotted black in the fifth after Doherty had lost position on the pink while in on a break of 64. But Lee attempted to clip the extra black in and left it close to a corner pocket, gifting Doherty an easy pot for 3-2.
Doherty, Irish Masters runner-up in 1992 and 1998, also won the sixth to lead by two frames but Lee closed to 4-3 when Doherty was called for five successive misses while snookered on the green in the seventh. Lee then knocked in a break of 69 to draw level at 4-4 and threaten to spoil the night for the capacity partisan crowd.
Doherty's 62 in the ninth restored his advantage at 5-4 and he won a disjointed 10th to secure victory. It was Doherty's ninth victory in 12 meetings with Lee and his third from four matches with the world number eight this season.
Filed by Shane Murray
