Ken Doherty

Doherty became only the third player from outside the United Kingdom (after Australian Horace Lindrum in 1952 and Canadian Cliff Thorburn in 1980) to win the World Championship when he beat Stephen Hendry 18–12 in the 1997 final, at the age of 27.

Ken Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player, commentator and radio presenter.

As an amateur, Doherty won the Irish Amateur Championship twice, the World Under-21 Amateur Championship and the World Amateur Championship.

Since turning professional in 1990, he has won six ranking tournaments, including the 1997 World Snooker Championship in which he defeated Stephen Hendry, inflicting Hendry's first loss in a world final.

Doherty appeared in two quarter-finals in his first season as a professional, at the 1991 Classic and the 1991 Irish Masters, being beaten 5–3 by Jimmy White on both occasions.

In the following snooker year, he won the qualifying event for the 1992 Masters, though there he lost 1–5 to John Parrott in the first round.

He also made it to the semi-finals of the 1992 British and Strachan Open, and reached the final of the 1992 Irish Masters.

He was a finalist at the 1992 Grand Prix as well, narrowly losing 10–9 to Jimmy White.

In the same event a year later, Doherty lost in the final again, this time 6–9 to Peter Ebdon.

Doherty's first ranking title was the 1993 Welsh Open, enough to take him into the top 16 in the world, where he remained until the 2007–08 season.

He also won the 1993 Irish Professional Championship, was a semi-finalist at the 1993 International Open, and a quarter-finalist again at the 1993 Irish Masters.

More quarter-final appearances followed at the 1994 Masters and the 1994 World Championship, his only run past the second round in the latter before 1997, and later on in the 1994 Dubai Classic, repeating his result from the previous edition of the event, down to the scoreline as he was beaten 5–4 both times.

These weren't his only replicated outcomes, he also won the 1994 Pontins Professional just like he did last year, as well as the 1994 Scottish Masters after winning it in 1993 too.

In November he made it to the final of the 1994 UK Championship, which he lost 5–10 to Stephen Hendry, then in December he reached the quarter-final stage of the 1994 European Open, where he was defeated 5–3 by Nigel Bond.

In the second half of the season, he was in yet another quarter-final at the 1995 Irish Masters, and in two finals, at the 1995 Pontins Professional and the 1995 European League.

Doherty came very close to breaking the Crucible curse, reaching the 1998 final where he lost out to John Higgins.

He also reached the World Championship final in 1998, losing to John Higgins, and in 2003, losing narrowly to Mark Williams.

The latter run was noted for some outstanding comebacks, including final-frame wins over Graeme Dott and Shaun Murphy, a 13–8 win over Higgins in a match where Doherty raced ahead 10–0 but Higgins fought back to 10–7, and a semi-final fightback from 9–15 to beat Paul Hunter 17–16.

In that championship, Doherty played more frames than anyone before or since.

In the final, Williams led 11–4, but Doherty fought back to 12–12 and 16–16.

In frame 33, Doherty missed the penultimate red with a clearance easily available.

Williams won that crucial frame and the next to prevail 18–16.

Doherty narrowly failed to achieve a maximum break when he missed a routine final black off its spot in the 15th frame of the 2000 Benson & Hedges Masters final against Matthew Stevens, a match Doherty eventually lost 10–8.

This one pot would have seen him win an £80,000 sports car.

However, his 140 break at least brought him the consolation of the £19,000 highest break prize.

In 2001 Doherty became one of the few players who have won back-to-back ranking events, as he won the Welsh Open and the Thailand Masters, while also reaching the final of the next tournament, the Regal Scottish Open.

He did make a 147 break two years later though, when he won the Cue Club Pro-Am tournament in Killarney in 2002.

He made light of his prize on television shortly afterwards, which was allegedly €300, a BMX bicycle and a toy Ferrari car.

He reached a third final in 2003, in which he was defeated by Mark Williams.

In other triple crown events, he has been runner-up three times in the UK Championship and twice in the Masters.

Doherty has compiled more than 350 century breaks in professional competition.

In the 2005 World Championship, Doherty beat Barry Pinches in the first round 10–5, winning the last 8 frames, but was knocked out in the second round by Alan McManus 13–11.

Following an average start to the 2005–06 season, Doherty won the Malta Cup in February 2006, beating John Higgins in the final.

Doherty had trailed 8–5 at one stage but managed a stirring comeback, winning four frames in a row.

He called the victory, which bridged a five-year gap, his "most important tournament win since the World Championship".

Doherty started brightly in the 2006 World Championship, winning his first match by defeating Barry Hawkins 10–1, then he beat Matthew Stevens 13–8, playing superbly to win the last five frames.

He was the favourite in his quarter-final match against Marco Fu but lost 13–10.

It was 8–8 as the final session started, but Doherty struggled despite winning a frame in which he required three snookers.

Since 2009, he has combined his playing career with commentating and punditry work.

His first official maximum was compiled in 2012, during a first round win against Julian Treiber at the Paul Hunter Classic.