Former world champion Ken Doherty is on the brink of exiting the Betfred World Snooker Championships in the final qualifying round. Doherty, who lifted the title in 1997, trails Mark Davis 8-1 after the first session of their third-round qualifier at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. The 45-year-old faces an uphill battle to avoid becoming the third Crucible winner to crash out this week, with Peter Ebdon and Steve Davis having lost in the second round. Ken Doherty is just two frames away from going out of World Championships qualifying in Sheffield . Doherty enjoys a pint of Guinness after winning the World Championships in 1997 . Graeme Dott, another former champion, must come from behind on Wednesday to book his place in the main draw as he trails world number 52 Yu Delu 5-4. Elsewhere, former world championship runner-up Matthew Stevens leads Joe Swail 5-4 as he bids for a first Crucible appearance since 2013. Graeme Dott is a former world champion, winning the showpiece event at the Crucible in 2006 .
Ken Doherty is struggling in his final World Championships qualifier .
The 1997 world champion trails Mark Davis 8-1 after the first session .
Graeme Dott must also spark a comeback at 5-4 down to Yu Delu .