SNOOKER/Masters Championship: Ken Doherty held his nerve through a tight, scrappy battle to edge out Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-5 last night to reach the semi-finals of the British Masters at Wembley.

There was never more than a frame in it as the pair were level five times before Doherty captured the last with a 59 break.

In the final frame the players traded early errors before O'Sullivan scored useful points. But a poor safety shot gave Doherty a chance, which he seized to go 30 ahead with 28 left on the table. A game of cat and mouse followed until Doherty sank the brown to win the match.

Leading 5-4 and with the momentum behind him, Doherty was favourite to wrap up victory in the 10th, but he failed to make anything of his chances and O'Sullivan recovered from an early set-back to hold his nerve and force the tense decider.

Doherty will now meet Paul Hunter in the semi-finals. The Yorkshireman had earlier just missed a 147 but still chalked up the highest break of the tournament on his way to a 10th successive Wembley win.

Defending champion Hunter breezed into the last four after a 6-1 humbling of Stephen Lee.

"I thought I was awesome," said the 24-year-old Hunter, who is now within touching distance of becoming only the second player in 29 years to win three successive Masters.

"I suppose there is always room for improvement but I don't know how," added Hunter - who finished with two tons and four other half-centuries in his 93-minute stroll.

"I just feel really at home playing here, though I still get a bit nervous when I walk up the stairs into the arena.

"I had an orange Bacardi Breezer to settle me down - but just the one," smiled Hunter, by his own admission, a reformed playboy.

"I used to go out partying too much in the past. Now a couple of weeks before a tournament I will stay in with (girlfriend) Lyndsey and just chill out."

Hunter, who won the British Open title at Telford back in November, stamped his authority on the match right from the start.

"Stephen had a chance of a pot with a rest in the opening frame and should have cleared up. But he missed it and I think that was a turning point. I had a good rhythm and got a bit of luck as well, which you always need when you are playing well."

However, Hunter was out of luck in the second frame when he potted his way to the verge of a 147 break in frame two. He knocked in 13 reds and 13 blacks before jawing the penultimate red, bridging over the pink.

"It was a rush of blood," admitted the world number nine from Leeds.