Snooker: Doherty filled with Judge dread
Ken Doherty will take nothing for granted when he embarks on his all-Dublin battle with Michael Judge for a place in the Embassy World Championship quarter-finals today.
The 1997 champion is well aware of how dangerous the players who qualify for the Crucible can be and he was given a reminder in his opening contest against Nick Dyson.
Although Doherty ran out a 10-7 winner, he found it difficult to shake off the world number 114 who capitalised on some of the chances left for him.
Judge, the 31-year-old’s next opponent, had to win three matches just to book his place at Sheffield, in the last of them beating Jimmy White 10-7.
And he has already made a huge impact on his debut in this arena by knocking out former title-holder John Parrott.
That victory led to Judge’s odds for the tournament being slashed from 150-1 to 40-1, and Doherty knows he must not take his friend and fellow Irishman lightly if he is to avoid the same fate as Parrott.
‘‘You can’t get casual with any guy who qualifies for here by winning a few matches because it’s a big occasion for them,’’ said the world number seven.
‘‘A lot of players can freeze but others go the other way and really raise their game. I’ve had it before here.
‘‘It was quite good to get a good test in my first match because it can give you a bit of a kick up the backside if you’re starting to get a bit casual.’’
Doherty, winner of two ranking events this season, thinks it is too early yet to start predicting who will lift the trophy on May 7, even though some of his rivals have already offered their opinions.
‘‘There’s an awful lot of very good players at the tournament,’’ said Doherty. ‘‘I think the championship is wide open. A lot of players have a chance. Anyone can win at this stage and form goes out the window here.
‘‘You must knuckle down to get results here because this is the big one, the one everyone wants to win. There’s an awful lot of work to be done.’’
Irish eyes will be transfixed on this match, especially with the Emerald Isle having had such a fine tournament so far, and world number 46 Judge believes he is capable of giving Doherty a run for his money.
‘‘I’ve played Ken twice this season and had two good games against him,’’ said the 25-year-old. ‘‘He won both times but I’ve beaten him twice before.
‘‘I can’t wait to play him and I’ll just give it my best shot. If I keep playing the way I am then I think I’ll have a very good chance.
‘‘It’s difficult to play against one of your pals, but the draw is the draw. When we play each other we can be total enemies around the table but afterwards we’ll be friends again.
‘‘We are professionals here to do a job, so may the best man win.’’
