Higgins: Angry despite win

The Scot, who won last month's Masters at Wembley, was level at 3-3 before winning the final three frames.

Doherty reached his first ranking final since the 2003 World Championship with a 6-3 win over Scotland's Graeme Dott.

The Irishman, who has not won a ranking title since 2001, showed glimpses of his best to beat Dott, who was runner-up to Stephen Hendry last year.

Higgins bemoaned the quality of the table after beating Dale 6-3.

"I don't know how many times we have to say it, the cloth was so bad you could not screw back and the cushions were pinging all over the place," he said. �

I was pathetic. My whole performance was abysmal Ken Doherty

"It really was a lottery. Basically everything was guesswork. I just had to try and batten down the hatches and prepare for a grim struggle. � "At least I'm winning so no one can say it's sour grapes."

Doherty, meanwhile, paid tribute to his opponent after a tough match.

"Graeme made it tough and didn't give anything easy so I had to work for every point," said Doherty.

After a scrappy start, Doherty constructed a break of 98 to win the fourth frame and lead 3-1.

Efforts of 50 and 44 made it 4-1 and a superbly crafted 119 two frames later put the 36-year-old 5-2 ahead.

Glaswegian Dott threw himself a lifeline by making 54 to close to 5-3 but Doherty controlled the ninth to reach the 17th ranking tournament final of his professional career.

Dott, who beat John Parrott, world champion Shaun Murphy and Robin Hull to reach the semi-finals, was furious about the way he played.