Irish snooker icon Ken Doherty has confirmed he's no longer in a relationship with his partner of 20 years.
Doherty wed ex-wife Sarah in December 2001, shortly before he finished as runner-up in his defence of the Welsh Open. The pair had a son, Christian, in 2007 and continue to share parenting duties for the 14-year-old despite their separation.
The 52-year-old told the Irish Sunday Mirror : “It was an amicable split, we’d been together for 20 years and we’ve got a son together. We both love him very much and we’re both still friends. We still talk on the phone.”
Doherty married Sarah after he sealed the 1997 World Snooker Championship, where he defeated seven-time winner Stephen Hendry 18-12 in the final. Fast-forward 25 years and the Dubliner was recently back at the Crucible, where he suffered a quarter-final defeat to Lee Walker in the World Seniors Championship.
A documentary called 'Seventeen Days in the Crucible' is due to air on Virgin Media on Sunday evening. The show will look back on Doherty's early career and that 1997 triumph over 'The King of the Crucible'.
By far the greatest accomplishment of his snooker career, Doherty was welcomed back to Ireland with an open-top bus ride through Dublin, cheered by fans in their thousands. He recounted the influence his mother had on his success, too, helping cultivate a hunger that led him to become one of the best players of his generation.
“I’d probably say that I got my determination from her [his mother]," said Doherty. "She instilled all those qualities in me. She was a very loving mother, very religious, everything was about the home and school. I got a good lot of inspiration from her, particularly after my father died. That was tough times, that toughened me up as well.”
Doherty counted himself "very, very lucky" to have been able to make a career our of the sport he loves. A wild card to compete for the next two years means retirement may not be an immediate concern, but an end to his snooker journey is looming.
“I think I’ve made my peace with it now," said Doherty, insisting he no longer worries about retirement as he once did. "I’m going to carry on for two more years. “I never thought from Jason’s all those years ago picking up that warped cue that I’d go this far."
