Ken Doherty loses out in World Championship qualifier

Ken Doherty has failed to make it through World Championship qualification after a 6-4 loss to Jamaica's Rory McLeod.

World champion 25 years ago, Doherty lost the last two frames to bow out.

The Dubliner took the first frame but breaks of 87 and 64 saw McLeod take the lead, and he was soon 3-1 ahead.

Doherty won two frames in a row, the second with a break of 54, before another break of 51 saw him level things up in the eighth frame after McLeod had nudged ahead again.

However McLeod took the final two frames in the best of 11 contest.

Former finalist Matthew Stevens eased into the penultimate round of World Championship qualifying with a 6-1 win over Northern Ireland's Gerard Greene on Friday.

Stevens, 44, was beaten in the 2000 and 2005 finals and reached the semi-finals on four further occasions.

Five half-centuries, including a concluding break of 94, sealed victory for the Welshman who will next face Sam Craigie in his bid to reach the Crucible for the first time since 2020.

James Cahill, who famously beat Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Crucible in 2019, won the last three frames to edge Mark Davis 6-5 and hang onto his professional tour card into the bargain.

But the dream run of Ukrainian teenager Iulian Boiko came to an end as he was beaten 6-4 by the experienced David Grace.

Meanwhile, the World Snooker Tour confirmed the suspension of Liang Wenbo following his conviction for assault, giving Dominic Dale a bye into the final round of qualifying.

Qualifying continues today with Antrim's Jordan Brown in action against Welsh youngster Liam James Davies.