YES HE KEN

As the former world champion Doherty ponders his future he backs Cork star Hill for the top

- Michael SCULLY

IRELAND'S snooker maestro can see the finish line fast approaching now but knows he is passing the cue to another who can also touch greatness.

Ken Doherty is still fighting the good fight. Last year, the World Snooker Tour gave Doherty, now 56, a two-year exemption to play the circuit.

He said at the time that after that period he was going to retire, and thus bring down the curtain on a career that was crowned by his World Championship final triumph in 1997 and featured two more final appearances, plus World Amateur and World Under-21 titles.

More recently, he has been a World Seniors Championship runner-up twice.

Yet, on his day, Dublin’s world champion of the green baize is still able to mix it with the kids last Tuesday, he beat baby-faced teenager Stan Moody to qualify for the International Championship.

Wins have been scarce in 2025 and the Ranelagh veteran was the underdog against a player 39 years his junior and 50 places above him in the rankings Doherty is 99th in the world.

Yet Crafty Ken managed to dog out a satisfying 6-5 victory at Ponds Forge against Moody.

The prize? A last 64 meeting with Neil Robertson in the Far East in a few weeks time.

Moody is a former World Junior Championship winner.

“He's a talented player and made five 50+ breaks,” said Doherty.

“He's had some really good results.”