Ken Doherty is still winning matches at 55 years old, producing a ‘clearance from 1997’ after ‘collapsing like an MFI wardrobe’ in his 5-4 victory over Oliver Lines.
The former world champion has been out of action since having an operation on an umbilical hernia in October but returned to the table in German Masters qualifying on Monday in Sheffield.
There he got himself into a 4-0 lead over Lines before the 29-year-old powered back to level the match at 4-4.
The Yorkshireman then took a 53-0 lead in the decider before the Darlin of Dublin produced a brilliant break of 66 to win the match on the final black in dramatic scenes.
‘I tell you what, I’m 55, I came off the table feeling about 65,’ Crafty Ken told Metro.
‘I was 4-0 up and coasting, then I was collapsing like an MFI wardrobe. It was frightening! I couldn’t pot a ball and I started thinking about being 4-0 up on Jimmy [White] in the World Seniors final and losing 5-4.
‘I haven’t been playing much because I had this operation and hadn’t been able to play. He started coming back and getting confidence, I started missing, all of a sudden it’s 4-4 and I was thinking, how have I lost this match?
‘He missed the red on 50-odd ahead, I was sure he was going to get it, but he gave me a chance and I made an unbelievable clearance to win on the black. I don’t know where it came from, I think it came from 1997!’
Doherty admitted that as Lines won four frames on the spin and he spent a lot of time in his chair, thoughts of hanging up his cue slid through his mind.
‘I was sat in my chair at times of that match thinking, do I really want to do this? Going through the mill,’ said the ’97 world champ.
‘I’ve had wonderful times as a player, but I was sitting there while he was coming back at me and I couldn’t play how I used to play and thinking maybe it’s time to call it a day.
‘Then I win the last frame with that clearance, it’s given me another boost. It was tough, you’re soul-searching in your chair, you’ve got plenty of time to ponder when you’re missing so many balls!
‘They’re the ups and downs of being a snooker player, all in the space of a best of 9 frames. That’s what you sign up for, the good and the not so good. You have to just control it and enjoy it, hate it and enjoy it again.’
Doherty is back in action in his next qualifier against Jordan Brown on Tuesday.
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