Sporting Digest: Snooker

Pontefract's Kelly Fisher, the women's world No 1, racked up a hat-trick of Regal Masters titles with a 4-0 final win over Scotland's Julie Gillespie in Stirling. Fisher, 21, fired breaks of 52, 33 and 38 to put the local favourite Gillespie, the world No 20, firmly in her place.

Ken Doherty emerged from the game's summer break in impressive form yesterday when he beat the world champion, Stephen Hendry, 4-2 in his opening match of the Liverpool Victoria Champions Cup in Croydon. Doherty, who defeated Hendry to win the world title two years ago, played with fluency and purpose to severely damage the world No 2's chances of qualifying for the semi- finals from Group B. Having dropped the first frame, Hendry levelled the match at 1-1 with a run of 95 in the second and, after Doherty went 2- 1 ahead, hit back with a 69 to make it 2-2 when the Dubliner missed a simple red. Doherty, the world No 7, responded with a swift 81 break to win the fifth frame and seal victory with a 51 in the sixth.