Snooker:Ken Doherty bounced back to top form to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Goldfields Open in Bendigo with what he described as the 'best clearance of his career'.
Less than two years after almost quitting the game, Doherty was back in the semi-finals of a ranking tournament for the first time 2006. it came by way of a 5-3 winner over world number three Mark Selby. It was a far cry from the lowly position the Dubliner had dropped to in the game.
"I felt like packing it in at one stage when I never qualified for the Crucible (in 2009),” admitted Doherty, who had sropped as low as 55th in the world and is currently 28th but will rise after this event.
"I was in qualifying tournaments and only won one match all season and I thought it was the end of the road. To be honest I haven't got a clue what I would've done but I would've still been involved in snooker,” added the 1997 world champion on worldsnooker.com.
"Now I have a bit more self confidence and I know I can compete ok but I'm not as consistent as I was. I have my Australian family here cheering me on and my son Christian watching me in the front row.
"The game is so psychological and if you have the mindset right and body relaxed that will help you play well."
Doherty will now take on Mark Williams, who has had his own problems with form. The Welsh lefthander also plummeted down the ranking to 47th before re-dedicated himself and is now world number one.
Doherty, who was a finallist at the Malta Cup in 2006, admitted he had watched Williams turn his career around and felt motivated to do the same.
"He's come back from the depths of despair like me and it shows you can do it, but my recent inspiration has been Darren Clarke winning The Open at the age of 42," said the 41-year-old.
"It was a superb victory over Mark Selby. From 57 behind with only four reds left to win it was my best clearance as a professional. In 20 years I've made some good ones but to close out the match from that position that was the best."
Elsewhere Stuart Bingham produced a sparkling display to win his grudge quarter-final match with Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen.
The pair's war of words, which began at last season's UK Championship, continued yesterday after both men easily won their second-round matches in Bendigo.
But it was Bingham who claimed the bragging rights - and a place in the semi-finals - with a 5-3 win today.
Allen twice led in the early stages, thanks to breaks of 45 in the first frame and 65 in the third, but a 66 from Bingham levelled matters at 2-2 at the mid-session interval.
He then stepped up a gear upon the resumption, moving 3-2 ahead with a 118 and adding a 112 immediately from Allen's break-off shot in the next to move within one frame of victory.
Allen, who had questioned his opponent's "bottle" as their bitter feud developed, would have been optimistic after cutting the deficit with a 66 - but Bingham, who squandered a 12-9 lead to lose 13-12 to Ding Junhui in May's World Championship, this time held his nerve and made a composed 96 to complete a 5-3 victory.
"It didn't upset me, it just gave me more drive," said Bingham when asked about Allen's critical words. "At the start of the match it showed how much I wanted to do well and that's the worst I've played all week.
"Mark is a great snooker player and you don't get to be in the top 16 for five years for nothing. Snooker player wise he is up there with the best, but off the table it's another thing.
Allen admitted the better man won but stood by what he originally said.
"Stuart deserved to win, he played better and scored heavily," said Allen. "It didn't surprise me because I know what he's capable of. I never said he's not a good player, I just know he's not good under pressure. It wasn't as if I made any lies. I said what other people think but they're too scared to say it.
"I enjoyed this game more and hopefully that's me getting the bug back for practicing more. When I do I know I won't be losing again to people like Stuart."
Matthew Selt's giant-killing run was ended by Shaun Murphy, who triumphed by the same 5-3 scoreline to set up a last-four clash with Bingham.
The 26-year-old Selt had already beaten two players with multiple World Championships to their name in John Higgins and Stephen Hendry, but was always up against it after 2005 Crucible winner Murphy eased into a 3-0 lead despite a highest break of 54.
Selt responded with a 137, the tournament's highest break to date, and added a 57 to cut the deficit to a single frame. But Murphy moved 4-2 up with a 72 and, after a pair of low-scoring frames, closed out victory with a run of 42.