A SHATTERED Ken Doherty was today putting his feet up after last night winning one of the toughest duels of his career in York.

The world number four, from Dublin, won a marathon battle with Welshman Matthew Stevens 9-7 and tomorrow takes on Stephen Lee for a place in Sunday's final at the Barbican Centre.

Lee had earlier overwhelmed defending UK champion John Higgins 9-2.

"I am shattered," Doherty admitted after his gruelling struggle. "I need a day off after that, to put my feet up and relax. I have a bit of a cold and I need a rest. I am not even going to think about playing Stephen Lee. I am taking it one match at a time."

It was 4-4 at the end of the afternoon session, Stevens having made a 109 break in the sixth. The Welshman compiled a 117 break to take the first frame of last night's play and they were level at 6-6 after a 32 minute 12th frame when the two Celts fought out a 47 minute long 13th frame.

"I thought I had blown it," Doherty said when instead of taking the frame he'd had in his grasp, he lost it. "I should have gone ahead but lost it when he needed a snooker, which is a cardinal sin. Going 7-6 behind was a killer punch, but I hung in there and battled on. The pressure was really intense in those last two frames."

But he took the last three frames to win the day after a match lasting seven minutes short of five and a half hours. What happened in that dramatic 13th frame was that Stevens got the yellow with a lucky glance off the pink only to snooker himself on the green. He escaped from that and several shots later fluked the green to be 56-35 behind.

After first missing the brown Stevens potted it and the blue. Doherty later, in getting out of a snooker, left Stevens with a chance on the pink and the Welshman duly sank it and the black to steal the frame 57-56.

Doherty won the next frame 71-36 to draw level, took the next 66-11 and a break of 69 gave him an exhausting 9-7 triumph, the last five frames having taken two and a half hours.

Updated: 09:35 Thursday, December 13, 2001