KEN DOHERTY, the world number nine, gained ample revenge for the hiding he suffered at the hands of the former world champion only a month ago, when he defeated Steve Davis 5-2 in the second round of the Thailand Open in Bangkok last night.
Doherty, who tackles Anthony Hamilton or Jamie Woodman for a place in the semi-finals, was beaten 6-0 by Davies when the two met at Wembley in the Benson and Hedges Masters.
But, while Doherty lost the first frame, he went on to win five of the next six to reach his third ranking event quarter-final of the season.
"It was a dogged performance. not a good one," said Doherty. "I just had to try and beat Steve at his own game. He is the master tactician and is usually brilliant in this kind of situation.
"So in that respect, this was a good win for me in conditions which were far from easy," added the Irishman whose highest break was a modest 49 in the last frame.
Joe Swail failed to complete an Irish double when he was beaten 5-2 by world champion, Stephen Hendry.
For Hendry, victory was revenge for the defeat he had suffered at the hands of Swail at the same stage of the European Open two weeks ago.
Consolation for Swail, who faces John Parrott in the first round of the Irish Masters at Goffs on March 28th, came in the form of the highest break of the match, a 102 in the fourth frame.
John Higgins became the third Scot to reach the quarter-finals as the controversy over poor playing standards continued. Higgins joined Hendry and Alan McManus in the last eight after a 5-3 triumph over Ronnie O'Sullivan.
He produced a superb finish with breaks of 94, 96 and 73 in the final three frames and was on course for a maximum in the last frame only to miss the 10th black.
"It was an easy chance with only one red on a cushion but I twitched on the black due to a lapse of concentration and it probably cost me my first competitive 147," explained Higgins, who won the German Open in Frankfurt three months ago.
"But while the table was on the slow side, it was still a good match. I was totally focussed on the job in hand though it might have been different if the frames had been scrappy ones.
Higgins, who faces Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals, was joined in his criticism by Hendry - who accused the tables of being like an "Axminster carpet" yesterday.
