Lee conquers mental doubts

Lee had often squandered winning positions against Hendry

By BBC Sport's Clive Everton in Preston

Stephen Lee, whose 6-4 victory over Stephen Hendry pits him against Peter Ebdon in the final of the LG Cup, has underachieved in terms of titles.

The corresponding event three years ago gave him his only first prize of his nine-year professional career.

He has a cue action to die for and prodigious easy cue power but all too often he seems to have a mental block in terms of beating the very best players when it really matters.

After climbing up from 31 in the world rankings to 16 to nine to six to five in successive seasons, he has slipped back to eighth.

But at 27, Lee may at last be honing his self-belief to a finer edge.

Prior to this week, he had beaten John Higgins only twice in 11 attempts.

He marginally overcut the pink which was effectively match ball to beat him in the British Open quarter-final in Newcastle earlier this month.

Then he lost on the final black to the UK champion's 53 clearance.

This week, he rode out the loss of the first two frames to beat Higgins, winner of the season's first three events, 5-2 in the quarter-finals.

Hendry missed four straightforward blacks

His record against Hendry was seven defeats in 10 matches, some from winning positions.

From four up with five to play, he lost their Irish Masters final two years ago 9-8.

From 6-2 ahead, he lost their UK Championship quarter-final last November 9-8.

Hendry's early failings in their Preston meeting gave him some assistance.

"I missed four blacks off their spots in total, which at this level is unforgiveable. I should have been 3-1 up," said the Scot.

Instead Lee led 4-0, only for Hendry to fluke the initial red in the fifth frame and make 80 from it.

Suddenly Hendry was in the groove as his breaks of 53, 70 and 103 reduced Lee's lead to 4-3.

Nagging doubts

Lee admitted that it was a major psychological challenge because of his past record of having Hendry almost - but not quite - nailed.

"That hurts you," he said of the wins that got away.

"And I know he's well capable of coming back at you.

"So many doubts creep through your mind when he's eating away at that lead."

Lee did make on important miss on an easy pot.

A fluffed black on its spot cost him 84 and the reduction of his lead from 5-3 to 5-4.

But he retained a positive mental attitude and clinched a 6-4 victory with a 68 break in that the next frame.

"I thought the worst for a few minutes but I just told myself to hold my nerve and calm down," he said.

"At 4-3, there was a lot of pressure."

In terms of fortifying his inner conviction, it was an important success for Lee.

Certainly he will need all the mental toughness he can muster if he is to overcome Ebdon, a 6-3 semi-final winner over Joe Swail, in the best-of-17-frames final.

Theirs is not one of the circuit's friendliest relationships.

When Ebdon beat Lee 13-12 in a long, grinding struggle at the World Championships at the Crucible last spring, he indulged in what Lee - and many others - believed was excessive triumphalism.

So much so that Lee stated that he would not play in the same England team as Ebdon.