Defending champion Ken Doherty was eliminated from the Thailand Masters today after going down 5-4 to England's Stephen Lee in the quarter-finals.
But Welshman Matthew Stevens reached his first ranking event semi-final with a 5-3 win over Scotland's John Higgins. Stevens and Lee now face each over nine frames in Saturday's first semi-final.
Dubliner Doherty was cursing the easy black he missed in the decider with Lee leading 30-22.
"It was a bad shot but I played quite well and made some decent breaks. What I didn't do was make enough of the last chance I had. I'm disappointed to lose as I thought it was going to be my day though I've only myself to blame".
Doherty, who led 1-0 and 3-2, was responsible for breaks of 105 and 87 though the highest of the match was Lee's 144 in a 12-minute second frame - his highest in major competition.
World Number 8 Lee also compiled a 61 and 40, although the break that mattered most was the match-winning 32 that followed Doherty's miss on the black in the decider.
AFP