Marco Fu emerged from a marathon encounter against Neil Robertson with a 6-5 victory to book his place in the Masters quarter-finals.
Fu battles through, Doherty to face Shaun Murphy in quarter-finals.
Marco Fu emerged from a marathon encounter against Neil Robertson with a 6-5 victory to book his place in the Masters quarter-finals.
Grand Prix champion Fu had been 4-2 ahead at one stage but Australian left-hander Robertson battled back to eventually take the match the full distance.
Both men had chances in the deciding 11th frame but eventually Fu came from behind to claim the frame, and the match after a gripping battle that stretched past midnight at Wembley Arena.
Robertson opened up in flying form as he knocked in a break of 63 to take the first frame followed by a brilliant 118 to move 2-0 ahead.
Fu responded and in a sublime run of frames he hit breaks of 89, 71, 69 and exactly 100 to take four on the spin and go 4-2 up.
The man from Hong Kong looked to be heading into the next round but Australian Robertson dug in to claim two scrappy frames to level up at 4-4, before they shared the next two to send the match into a deciding 11th frame.
Robertson got his hand on the table first and made 41 but from then on both men struggled until finally Fu cleaned up the six colours he needed in the end to scrape through.
Doherty flying
Ken Doherty produced some sparkling form to win six frames on the bounce to beat Mark Williams 6-2 in a top-quality first round match at the Masters.
The Wembley Arena crowd witnessed two centuries and four fifty-plus breaks in the eight frames played of a quality contest that saw Doherty produce some of his very best form.
The Irishman fell behind early on was Welshman Williams rattled in a fine break of 118 in the opening frame - recording his first century of the season.
A 69 in the next put two-time Masters champion Williams 2-0 ahead, but Doherty kicked into gear with a knock of 101 getting him on the board at 2-1.
Doherty, twice a beaten Masters finalist, ensured he went into the break level at 2-2 when he won a tight fourth frame.
Fast start
After the interval Doherty hit the ground running and a run of 89 put him in front for the first time in the match before a 53 and a 68 helped him to the next three frames and a fine 6-2 win.
"It nice to play to that standard, when I got that break in the third frame it settled me down, gave me a little bit of confidence and that's what you need," said Doherty.
"When you don't make the big breaks it saps your confidence so hopefully it will continue."
Doherty now faces Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals, and is hoping to finally go all the way in the Masters.
"It's a great tournament," Doherty added.
"I've lost in two finals and missed a black for a 147 which I still have nightmares about but I've played some great matches and delighted to be playing well."
