By Chris Slegg and Dave McIntyre BBC Ceefax in York

Ken Doherty 9-6 John Higgins

Ken Doherty ended John Higgins' hold over him with a 9-6 victory to progress to the semi-finals.

Click here to watch Ken Doherty's win

Doherty, who had not beaten Higgins in a ranking tournament since 1997, began by rattling off a break of 110 on his way to taking the first four frames.

The Irishman cleared up in the second after Higgins missed a brown and notched up a 60 break on the way to winning the third.

Higgins won the fifth and then put in breaks of 83 and 62 to cut the deficit to 5-3 after the first session.

The Scot then took the first two frames of the second session to level the match.

He hit breaks of 118 and 113 in the first three evening frames and looked to be getting the upper hand.

But from 6-6, Doherty won three in a row to end Higgins' title bid.

Higgins admitted that Doherty deserved his first victory over him since the 1997 World Championship.

"He beat me on the way to winning it that year and he was better this time," said Higgins.

"That's the best he has ever played against me - he just kept on nicking the frames.

"It looked good for me when I got it back to 5-5 but he nicked frames after that and the big one was when he won the frame at 6-6."

High quality

Doherty savoured the end of John Higgins' winning run against him.

The Irishman said: "It's nice because he has given me a few hidings and it's good to return the compliment."

Doherty added: "I won three or four frames when I had been 40 or 50 points behind and those are clinchers - they can hurt an opponent.

"I played well and so did he. He was making big breaks and I thought I did very well to be 4-0 up but I knew I was playing well at that stage.

"He came out all guns blazing after that and I was lucky to hang onto his coat tails at 6-6.

"But I made good breaks too, including one in the last frame, and that's what you have got to do."

Frame-by-frame (Doherty first): 110-13 (110), 69-46, 75-1 (60), 66-61, 0-102 (68), 64-47 (64), 8-87 (83), 2-70 (62), 6-129 (113), 38-71 (68), 67-40, 1-118 (118), 61-58 (Higgins 50), 76-0 (63), 41-25