Doherty hails land of the rising stun
Ken Doherty has had a glimpse into snooker’s future – and the Dubliner has been left awe-struck by the generation of Chinese players who threaten to dominate the game for the next 20 years.
The uptake in the game in Asia has been dramatic over the past decade, with the youngsters who took up the game before reaching their teenage years now emerging and making an impact on the professional tour.
This year’s Embassy World Championship, which begins tomorrow at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, has come just too soon for them, but such has been their impact this season that the youngsters are notable for their absence.
Doherty has had the privilege of practising on a regular basis with three of Chinese snooker’s richest talents, among them Ding Jinhui who beat Stephen Hendry 9-5 in the final of the China Open at the start of April.
That victory over the game’s greatest ever player came two days after Ding turned 18, and indeed just 24 hours after the teenager had whitewashed Doherty 6-0 in their semi-final, which was the Irishman’s first at any tournament for a year.
Doherty, now 35 and seeking to add to his 1997 world title over the next 17 days, admits time may be running out for the current breed of players to triumph in Sheffield.
Soon enough, he predicts, the Chinese youngsters will become serious contenders for the game’s top prizes.
“They’re fantastic,” Doherty told the Press Association.
“There’s three young lads, Ding and two other guys who are both 17.
“They’re just so dedicated, they just love the game and they’e not fazed by it at all. They don’t look like they get nervous at all. They’re really calm.
“They’re so different to the European culture. So calm, so laid back. Their time will come and it’ll be good for the game.”
Being beaten so heavily by Ding hurt Doherty, but on reflection the three-time Crucible finalist has taken ample positives from his best week of the season.
It has refreshed him for the challenge ahead, giving him added cause for optimism ahead of the climax to a season which, by his own admission, has been a disappointment.
“I’ll take each match as it comes but I believe I can be champion,” Doherty says.
“A couple of months ago I wouldn’t have believed it but I’m now so much more confident and playing a lot better.
“I played a bit better in China thankfully so I can derive some confidence from that. I feel an awful lot better in myself. It’s something I’ve been missing for a while.
“I needed a few wins under my belt. I ran into a brick wall in the semi-final but at least I got a few wins and some good matches under my belt and some confidence, which I’d been lacking in the last year.
“I’ve been playing really well in practice but I just haven’t had a really good run in a tournament for a long time and I’d forgotten what it felt like.
“It was important not only to get a run, but to beat some of the top players like Stephen Lee and Paul Hunter, and even Quinten Hann, who can be a handful at times.”
Doherty begins his bid on Monday, against Norwich’s Barry Pinches.
“China gives me that extra optimism. No doubt about that,” Doherty says.
“It’s hard when you’re lacking confidence. The game becomes so tough, but when you’ve got that little bit under your belt everything goes into freeflow. Your performances are a world apart.”
With the rash of youngsters coming through, Doherty is delighted to have a world title already to his name.
“It takes the pressure off you,” he adds.
“You’re not out there having to win it, because I’ve won it already. I don’t have to prove anything to anybody. That burden is taken away from me.”
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