Former world champion, 55, wins dramatic blue-ball shootout to take home Snooker 900 title
FORMER world champion Ken Doherty won a dramatic blue-ball shootout to take home the Snooker 900 title.
Doherty, 55, is an icon of the sport having emerged victorious in six ranking tournament wins.
The Irishman, who is also a commentator, was once ranked No2 in the world back in the 2006/07 season.
But the highlight of his snooker career came in 1997 when he beat Stephen Hendry in the World Snooker Championship.
And now, Doherty can add a new title to his collection.
The ace took part in the World Seniors Snooker 900 title at Epson Downs Racecourse this week.
Doherty beat Tony Drago in a thrilling blue-ball shootout.
And he also came up against stars including Jimmy White on his way to victory.
Doherty has now become the FIRST star to scoop multiple World Seniors Snooker 900 tournament wins, having previously won at Goffs.
And speaking after his win over Drago, Doherty expressed his delight at adding another trophy to the cabinet.
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He said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I wasn’t expecting it, I felt in this morning on a 7am flight.
“I love playing in the 900, I love the concept of it and it was a great final.
“To play Tony in the final was just amazing and to go down to the blue-ball shoot-out was incredible.
“I was just thinking when he potted the first blue in the shoot-out, ‘Just try and cue it, don’t twitch and put your elbow in the front row’.
“Then, when he missed the second one, I was just thinking the same and it just went right in the middle.
“I said ‘year’ before it even went in. It was a lovely moment.”
Doherty now hopes his win can spur him to victory in next year’s World Seniors Snooker Championship.
He added: “I’ve been beaten in a couple of finals — last year against Igor Figueiredo and of course against Jimmy White when I was 4-0 up and collapsed like a cheap tent — but we won’t mention that.
“I’d love to win it but if I don’t, it doesn’t matter — I’ve been very lucky and blessed in my life by playing the game I love.
“I’m still playing it and I still love it.”
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins