Doherty pulls off great escape as Perry trails O'Sullivan by two

Ken Doherty produced a sparkling recovery to deny stablemate Nigel Bond a place in the Embassy World Championship quarterfinals in Sheffield. Groggy Doherty picked himself up from a 10-6 deficit after two sessions to complete a memorable 1311 triumph on Saturday night.

"If I hadn't won the world title I probably wouldn't have won that game," said the 28-year-old Dubliner.

"Winning the world title gives you that extra self-confidence. It puts you on a different level to the players who are still trying to take the next step up.

"Mind you at 10-6 it was looking pretty ominous," agreed Doherty, runner-up to John Higgins 12 months ago.

"I needed to win at least three of the first four frames today to stand any chance. Had it been 2-2 then I probably would have been out.

"I certainly felt confident in my dressing room during the break, probably more so than Nigel did."

It was Bond who stole the last frame before the interval, but it was to be his final moment of success.

In the next four frames the world number 13 from Darley Dale scored just 34 points as he lost the rhythm of the opening two sessions.

Doherty made breaks of 79 and 66 to level at 11-11 and by taking the 23rd frame he led for the first time in the game.

Bond was in trouble early in frame 24, giving away 12 points in penalties. Successfully escaping from a snooker at the fourth attempt, he only provided Doherty with a chance to make a decisive break of 32.

Doherty then added another run of 32 to earn a quarter-final against Mark Williams or qualifier Nick Walker.

Perry plans Grateful Joe Perry has pledged to repay his father's faith and money invested in his career by winning the title.

And by sharing his penultimate session with Ronnie O'Sullivan at Sheffield yesterday afternoon, and clawing back to 7-9 down, Perry gave himself a chance of fulfilling his promise.

The Cambridgeshire cueman started the day with a 5-3 deficit against the world number three from Essex.

And when O'Sullivan snatched the opening frame of the session from 53-0 down with a clearance of 66, then world number 74 Perry must have feared the worst.

However, he showed the same composure that enabled him to beat Steve Davis 10-9 in the last 32, refusing to allow O'Sullivan to take charge.

His break of 109 in frame 10 is the highest of the contest so far, his second of the competition and ignited a comeback that saw him level at 6-6 by the mid-session interval.

"My dad Peter is well chuffed for me," says Perry. "He never wanted or asked for any money off me and the best way I can pay him back is by winning the title.

"It's probably cost him over £100,000 over the years and I'd love to re-pay him."

The final frame of the day was a killer for the 23-year-old underdog. He led 44-0 but missed a tricky blue and O'Sullivan cleared up with 74.

That leaves the Chigwell star requiring four of the remaining nine frames to reach the last eight and a match against John Parrott.

Stephen Lee produced his finest session of snooker since beating Hong Kong's Marco Fu in the Grand Prix final last October as he dominated the start of his second round game with Alan McManus.

The world number nine from Trowbridge compiled two century breaks in seven frames and almost made it four.

It all added up to a 6-2 overnight advantage on the world number eight from Glasgow who put out Jimmy White in the last 32.

Lee resumes in the morning needing seven of the final 17 frames to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time.

Tony Drago tore up his membership card of snooker's exclusive top 16 club in Sheffield last night. Drago's exit from the championship signalled the end of his six year stay in the potting premiership.

And the Maltese professional's 138 second round defeat by Welshman Matthew Stevens leaves James Wattana of Thailand as the only overseas representative left in the tournament.

Stevens, whose elevation to the top 16 means he will not need to qualify next season, is through to the last eight for the second successive season.

Stevens' success was also good news for Steve Davis. Despite losing in the first round to Joe Perry the 41-year-old veteran is assured of a place in the top 16 for a 20th consecutive year.