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Doherty admits to 'slippery slope'
Snooker, 12:20, March 11, 2009 ,
Former world champion Ken Doherty has admitted his career among snooker's eilte is on a "slippery slope".
The 1997 winner suffered the ignominy of a 10-5 defeat against Gerard Greene in the final qualifying round yesterday to miss out on a place at this year's tournament.
The Dubliner dropped out of the top 16 last year after a 15-year stint in the top bracket of snooker, meaning he was no longer guaranteed a place in the main draw.
The 39-year-old said: "I'm on a slippery slope and I don't know where it will finish. I'll be back next season but maybe not for too long, the way things are going."