KEN Doherty was last night beaten 5-2 by Mark Williams of Wales in the quarter-finals in the Rothmans Malta Grand Prix.

Although Doherty produced the highlight of the contest, firing in a 136 total clearance, Williams showed the greater consistency on the way to securing a meeting with Malta's Tony Drago or Joe Grech in the last four.

Doherty, although disappointed with his overall display, was delighted that the 136 carried his total of century breaks during his six-year professional career to exactly 100.

"It's a good achievement but I would have preferred not to have made the break and won," said Doherty, who is only the ninth player to amass 100 centuries.

Williams opened frame seven with a run of 37, launched by a long red, and held on to advance to the last four.

Doherty joins Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White, John Parrott, James Wattana, Peter Ebdon, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Willie Thorne at the break-building milestone.