Ken Doherty has reached his fourth consecutive world ranking event quarter-final with a 5-2 victory over England’s Joe Perry in Shanghai’s China Open.
"I don't think I've done that very often in my career before but over the last couple of seasons I've been really solid," said Doherty, who whitewashed Perry 5-0 on the way to appearing in the Regal Welsh Open final last month.
"It was a good match, with quite a few big breaks, and it's always good to tuck frames away in a single visit."
Runs of 43, 53, 56 and 65 helped the Dubliner build a 4-1 lead but Perry, on course for a place in the game's elite top 16 next season, threatened to mount a comeback when he fired in an 81 break in the sixth frame and led 50-1 in the seventh.
But when he missed a vital yellow, Doherty pounced with a 57 clearance to snatch it on the black and set up a last 16 meeting with Anthony Hamilton or Australia's Quinten Hann.