KEN Doherty is one game away from reaching the final stages of the Mr Q UK Championship after beating BetVictor Northern Ireland Open runner-up Chris Wakelin 6-4 in Leicester.
The 1997 World Champion made light of his 7/2 odds against the in-form Englishman, hitting the front for the first time at 3-2 and holding off a determined fightback.
Wakelin had looked like forcing a decider when he held a 54-0 lead in frame 10 but Doherty chipped away at his lead and then potted yellow to pink to close out the match.
The Dubliner now faces China's Yuan SiJun, 6-5 winner over Alexander Ursenbahcer, with the winner going on to compete in the televised stages of the event in York from Saturday.
Jordan Brown is out after losing 6-4 to Jamie Clarke on Tuesday.
The world number 37 from Antrim failed to find the form that got him to the semi-finals of the International Championship in China earlier in the month, falling 3-1 behind at the mid-session interval as Clarke compiled breaks of 99 and 66.
Brown reduced the gap to 3-2 by taking frame five but a 60 from Clarke restored his two-frame advantage.
The trend was repeated with Clarke's 54 break replying to Brown making it 4-3 and although Brown did make the Welshman sweat by again reducing the deficit to one, a 61 break wrapped up the match.
