Doherty vs Dott in today's semi-final

Ken Doherty overcame the stiff challenge of 2004 European Open champion Stephen Maguire to book his place in the semi-finals of the Malta Cup yesterday.

Today, the popular Irishman will face last year's Malta Cup beaten finalist Graeme Dott who 'flashed' past Finland's Robin Hull 5-0 in a match that lasted just over one hour and 30 minutes.

Doherty built his success on solid defensive play that put great pressure on Maguire. It was the first time these two players were facing each other in a ranking event and the opening two frames of the match turned out to be a battle of nerves.

Doherty compiled runs of 64 and 82 to take a 2-0 lead. He then missed an easy red and Maguire quickly secured the third frame with a break of 82 to halve the deficit. Equilibrium was restored in the next frame that went to the wire with Maguire potting the decisive black.

The opening two frames of the second session were shared with Maguire rolling the first century of the match, a 133. But Doherty soon responded with a break of 71 to draw level at 3-3.

Doherty moved just one frame away from victory but Maguire hit back with a superb 127. In the decider, Maguire missed a crucial red in the bottom left pocket to pave the way for the former world champion to secure the frame and match.

"I'm really pleased to go through after such a tough game," Doherty said. "I guess, it would have been a massive letdown for me had I lost this one as I played very well. He was back in the match after I missed a couple of shots.

"Winning the sixth frame gave me the confidence I needed to finish stronger."

Asked to comment on his next opponent Doherty replied: "Graeme Dott is a very tough player. He is not among the top four in the world but he's very talented and a great fighter. But the Irish are also renowned for their spirit and I promise to try hard to reach the final in Malta."

On his part, Maguire had little qualms on the final outcome.

"It was a great match," he said.

"I reckon it was my best performance in the tournament but it was not enough as Ken delivered more in the final stages of the game. But the positive thing is that I'm hitting the cueball well and that puts me in a good position for the remaining tournaments this season."

Malta is a good hunting ground for Dott. He looked off form in previous tournaments this season but rediscovered his best in Malta where he eliminated John Parrott, world champion Shaun Murphy and now Hull.

Dott was simply in a class of his own yesterday. Hull soon found himself trailing 4-0 but looked on his way to finally get off the mark when he raced to a 60-0 lead after the break.

However, he missed one of the remaining reds and Dott made the most of the opportunity to clear the table and secure a second consecutive semi-final appearance at the Hilton.

"I never thought I could win so easily though but I took the chances that came my way and here I am," Dott said.

"I had some useful training sessions with John Higgins and that helped me regain form.

"I am certainly fancying my chances here. I have beaten some quoted players and hopefully I can go and finish one better than last year."

Williams upset

Dominic Dale was a surprise winner when he beat his Welsh compatriot Mark Williams 5-3 last night.

Dale, ranked 47th in the world, took a 3-1 lead at the interval and then extended his advantage to 4-1 in the fifth frame.

Williams staged a stirring fightback and bridged the gap to 4-3. But his hopes of a recovery were ended by Dale who won the eighth frame to secure a rare semi-final appearance in a ranking tournament.

But the biggest upset of the day was the elimination of Malta Cup holder Stephen Hendry. He was beaten in a late night quarter-final by fellow Scotsman John Higgins 5-2.

None of the two players showed their best form as they committed a series of uncharacteristic errors, particularly Hendry who failed to pot one significant break throughout.

Today's match holds added significance for Dale as victory over Higgins will guarantee him a return to the top 32 in the provisional rankings.

Yesterday's results: G. Dott vs R. Hull 5-0; S. Maguire vs K. Doherty 4-5; S. Hendry vs J. Higgins 2-5; M. Williams vs D. Dale 3-5.

Today's semi-finals: 3 p.m. G. Dott vs K. Doherty; 8 p.m. J. Higgins vs D. Dale.