Ireland’s Ken Doherty won the CRS UK Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time with a 4-1 final victory over Igor Figueiredo in Hull.

The tournament was the first event of the 2018/19 World Seniors Snooker Tour (WSST), which for the first time this season operates under the auspices of snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA.

The ‘Darling of Dublin’ who famously claimed the world professional title 21 years ago continues to perform to a high standard on the main tour and showed his class throughout the day as he dropped just one frame on his way to his first seniors title.

Following a number of shock defeats for some of snooker’s most recognisable names including Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White on the opening day of the tournament, Doherty ensured that he would not follow suit with wins against fellow Irishman Rodney Goggins and Suchakree ‘Kwan’ Poomjang from Thailand to reach the final.

Awaiting the current world number 67 was reigning WSF Seniors Champion Igor Figueiredo, the popular ex-professional from Brazil having become a crowd favourite during the two-day event at the new Bonus Arena in Hull with victories against Joe Johnson, Aaron Canavan and Leo Fernandez.

From the start however it was Ireland’s Doherty, whose last professional title came at the Malta Cup back in 2006, who asserted his authority on the final with a magnificent break of 116 in the opening frame and would ultimately run out a 4-1 winner to seal the title.

The event was held in Hull for the first time and was well-supported by local snooker fans who turned out in large numbers throughout both days to watch a mix of snooker’s former champions and players who had come through hard-fought qualifying events earlier this season across the globe to take their place in the field.

Together with event title sponsor Credit Risk Solutions, the tournament was also supported by WSST partners Wyldecrest Homes, Voofoo Studios and Victor Wood Kia.

source - worldsnooker