Former world champion Ken Doherty launched a spirited fightback to lead snooker 's top woman player Reanne Evans 5-4 at the interval of their World Championship first qualifying round match in Sheffield . Doherty , who won the title in 1997 , won four of the final five frames of the morning session after trailing 3-1 at one stage against 29-year-old Evans , a single mum from Dudley who is bidding to become the first woman to appear in the main stages of the world finals at The Crucible . The match will be played to a conclusion when it resumes on Thursday evening . In total , 128 players are involved in qualifying , including legendary names Steve Davis and Jimmy White . Reanne Evans trails Ken Doherty 5-4 at the interval of her World Championship qualifier . Evans is taking on Doherty in a World Championship qualifier and he took the opening frame 71-15 . But Evans settled and hit back brilliantly , taking the next three frames to build an imposing lead . Players have to win three best-of-19 frame rounds to go forward to the World Championship which begins later this month . Of the 10 matches taking place simultaneously on Thursday morning at the Ponds Forge international sports centre in Sheffield , all eyes were on Evans , a big outsider against Doherty despite being a 10-time world champion herself . Television crews from all the major broadcasters and the biggest name in snooker Ronnie O'Sullivan were among those to see the action unfold . The first frame went according to the form book with Doherty winning 71-15 as Evans made a nervy start . But she quickly got over them to win the tactical battle in the next two frames and then rattled up the first break above 50 in the match , a 51 to win the fourth frame after Doherty fluffed a black . Doherty , 45 , had admitted before the match he felt extra pressure facing a woman . Evans came up against a resurgent Doherty after the mid-session interval and he now holds the lead . Doherty leads the 29-year-old Evans for the first time since taking the opening frame . He looked grim-faced as he fell behind but levelled the match by winning the fifth frame 68-0 and the sixth with a break of 64 . Evans , who was invited by snooker 's governing body to take part in World Championship qualifying , retook the lead by winning the seventh frame on the final pink . But Doherty took the eighth with another break of 64 and then went 5-4 in front , the first time he 'd led the match since the opening frame .
Reanne Evans faces Ken Doherty in World Championship qualifier . She lost the first frame 71-15 against the 1997 World Champion . Evans replied well , winning the next three before the mid-session interval . But Doherty fought back and leads 5-4 at the midway point . CLICK HERE to follow Reanne Evans vs Ken Doherty LIVE .