Sports Digest - Snooker: Ken Doherty failed narrowly in his bid to retain his Welsh Open title in Cardiff last night when he lost out 7-9 to last year's beaten finalist Paul Hunter.
It was a brave battle by the Irishman after getting the worst possible start when losing five of the first six frames. He recovered to reach the end of the first session just two behind at 5-3, but it could have been so much worse for the Dubliner, who was clearly struggling in his attempt to join the exclusive club of seven players who have successively defended a world ranking event.
His task was made even more difficult when Hunter came out for the evening session and took the ninth frame in convincing fashion.
Hunter had a great chance to win the tenth frame too only to miss an awkward green but although battling Doherty managed to hang in there, he could not quite match Hunter's long potting and superior break-building.
Hunter was first in again in the 12th frame but he broke down on 31 and Doherty replied with 52 before returning to make the frame safe.
That made it 7-5 and kept things interesting for the full house. The tension continued to build as Doherty closed to within one frame, clinching the 13th with a run of 40 after Hunter went in-off attempting a safety shot.
Hunter, however, remained unruffled and with pink and black both tied up, he fashioned a superb 44 to go 8-6 ahead.
It looked all over when the Yorkshireman established a 56-0 lead in the next. But he opted to go for a long red rather than have the balls put back when Doherty was called for a miss and paid the price as the 33-year-old Dubliner hit back to steal it on the colours and keep the final very much alive.
Many a player would have wilted under the pressure but not Hunter as he finished the job with a break of 76. After coming from 4-2 behind to beat world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-4 in the last 16, he certainly did it the hard way.
Formula One: Renault unveiled their new car in Guyancourt, France yesterday for the 2002 world Formula One championship, 17 years after the last time they competed with a 100 per cent Renault car.
The new yellow and blue R202 will be driven by Italy's Jarno Trulli and Jensen Button of Britain this season.
