Fergal O’Brien won the battle of the Dubliners tonight, with a comprehensive 6-2 victory over Ken Doherty, to reach the semi-final stage of the Benson $ Hedges Masters at Wembley.
O'Brien now plays Dave Harold tomorrow night for a place in the final, who beat John Parrott 6-5 on a re-spotted black after trailing 5-1.
O'Brien, controversially called for slow play in last month's Nations Cup, ground out a 46-minute fourth frame to reach the interval 4-0 ahead.
Doherty came out all guns blazing after the break and a run of 83 opened his account, but he wasted chances to cut his arrears to 4-2 and O'Brien moved one frame closer to the last four.
Doherty threatened briefly when he clinched frame seven and he was in a good position to take the eighth as well.
Instead, he missed the final brown and O'Brien studiously potted brown to black to complete his 6-2 success.
"I really thought it was going to be another good week for me," said Doherty, a Masters runner-up for the last two years.
"I'll just have to lick my wounds and wait for the next one," added the world number seven. -PA