KEN DOHERTY defeated Peter Ebdon for the first time in nine matches to win a marathon first quarter-final at the £330,000 European Open in Malta yesterday.
A match thaf prevented the evening encounter between John Higgins and Stephen Lee starting on time eventually went the Republic of Ireland player's way after a three hour 37 minute epic.
But there was every danger of proceedings being halted before Doherty secured a 5-3 success after a 46-minute eighth frame.
The world number seven's welcome win represented a superb fightback by the 27-year-old Dubliner, who now meets defending champion John Parrott or Scotland's Alan McManus tomorrow for a place in a best of 17 frames final.
Doherty trailed 3-1 to the world number three, who appears to have abandoned an attacking policy that he adopted during the International Open at Aberdeen last week.
"I felt so low at 3-1 down because before the interval I was playing so badly. However, I managed to dig something out from somewhere and it's a really big win for me," said Doherty.
"It was on my mind that Peter had won so many times before but now thankfully that jinx is over."
