Ken's got fear factor back

Doherty: Fear factor

No one looks forward to playing me now. I feel like a different player and I'm looking forward to events.

Ken Doherty
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Ken Doherty says that his flying start to the season has made him a player to fear once again, as he looks to qualify for the UK Championship.

The 40-year-old Irishman suffered an alarming drop in form last season and he tumbled out of the world's top 16 and dropped down to number 44.

In fact, the former Crucible world champion won just twice in eight ranking events last season, but he feels he has recaptured his top form again this time around.

Doherty reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters after winning five games, and he won three more to make it to the last 16 of the Grand Prix in Glasgow last month.

The likeable Dubliner now heads back to the tough qualifying competition at Prestatyn needing two more wins to book his place in the UK Championship in Telford next month, and he feels he is a man to be feared again.

Bad run

"I haven't lost a ranking match there yet this season and I hope I can keep that going for as long as possible," said Doherty. "Last season I had a run there where I won one frame in four matches - and I was lucky to win that.

"Everyone wanted to play me because I was an easy draw. I was dreading going to the qualifiers and that showed in the way I played.

"No one looks forward to playing me now. I feel like a different player and I'm looking forward to events. The qualifiers are a quagmire and you have to muck in and haul yourself out.

"It doesn't matter if it's not pretty, as long as you win. There's so many good players there and a lot of pressure on every match."

Finals

Doherty has played in three UK finals, but admits he did not play his best in the big games.

"I lost 10-1 to Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2001 when he was on fire," said the 1997 Crucible champ. "In 1994 I lost 10-5 to Stephen Hendry when he made seven centuries.

"That was the best exhibition of snooker I've ever seen and I'm ever likely to see, it was unprecedented. The one I could have won was in 2002 when I lost 10-9 to Mark Williams, that was a great final and very close, so it hurt to lose.

"It's a great tournament and I'm disappointed not to have won it, but it's never too late. The best-of-17 matches give you time to settle and favour the better players."