Snooker legend Ken Doherty names the worst defeat of his epic career

Former world champion Ken Doherty hit the heights in snooker, but a 36-year career on the professional circuit is bound to produce some tough defeats as well.

The 56-year-old retired from the pro game earlier this year, bringing to an end a career at the top level which began in 1990.

The Irishman was competing with the very best from reaching his first ranking title in 1992 to his last in 2006 and even beyond as he made it to a ranking semi-final as late as 2017.

It was one of the finals in his pomp that stands out as the worst defeat he suffered in his career, looking back at a hammering at the hands of Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The pair met in the 2001 UK Championship final in York and after winning the second frame, Doherty lost nine on the spin to fall to a 10-1 defeat.

The loss was especially painful after a brilliant run to the final that had seen him beat the likes of Matthew Stevens and Stephen Lee impressively.

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‘I’ve had a few bad defeats, but I think the most embarrassing one was probably in the UK final. I played so well to get to the final,’ Doherty told VivatBet Ireland.

‘I got off to a terrible start against Ronnie O’Sullivan and he eventually beat me 10-1 and I was lucky to get one.’

The Darlin of Dublin ended his career with just one Triple Crown title to his name – the 1997 World Championship – but with so many near misses.

He lost in two Crucible finals, three UK Championship showpieces and finished runner-up at the Masters twice.

He so often ran into greats of the game in those matches and, while obviously it is a great achievement to reach those finals, they stick in the mind as disappointing defeats.

‘There’s a couple that got away. John Higgins, when I lost in ’98 to him,’ Doherty said of World Championship final defeat. ‘Mark Williams particularly in 2003 when I lost in the final to him 18-16, that was hard to take.

‘I lost in two Masters finals to John Higgins and Matthew Stevens, they’re ones that got away. 10-8 both times.

‘And of course three UK finals, Mark Williams 10-9 [in 2002], Stephen Hendry I couldn’t do much about, he made seven centuries in 10 frames to beat me 10-5 [in 1994] and Ronnie O’Sullivan just obliterated me one year when I got off to a terrible start.

‘It’s the big ones that you lose out on, the Triple Crown events they’re the ones that your career is defined by. But winning the World Championship, that defined my career.

‘Yes there have been a lot of disappointments along the way but I managed to beat a lot of the good players in finals. Hendry and Higgins and Williams in other finals, so that was quite pleasing. But the ones that got away, you’re always perturbed by.’

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