Rejuvenated Dott falls short in last four

2006 world champion Graeme Dott showed signs of returning back to his best after reaching the semi-final of the 2013 Betfair Masters.
The world number 12 has struggled for form since losing the 2010 World Championship final to Neil Robertson and was not really fancied in the Snooker Masters betting.

However, was just one frame away from reaching the final at the Alexandra Palace but to be denied by the eventual winner.
The Pocket Dynamo was 5-4 up against Mark Selby before the world number one won the final two frames of the match to end Dott’s run in the invitational only tournament for the world’s top 16.
The 35-year old had established a 4-1 lead in the second of the two-semi-finals on Saturday. He then had a chance to go further ahead in the tight sixth frame with a shot on the final black to go 5-1 in front. However, the black stuck in the jaws allowing the Jester from Leicester to take advantage and put himself back into the game.
Dott started the week in a tight battle against fellow compatriot Stephen Maguire in the opening round. The game was decided in the 11th and decisive frame with the former world champion holding his nerve to progress.
In his second game of the competition, the Scot produced one of the performances of the competition to eliminate the Snooker betting  favourite Judd Trump 6-1 in the quarter-final. It was a match of a very few high breaks but the 12th seed used his experience to out-battle his young opponent to move into the last four.
Dott will be next in action in the Snooker Shoot Out at the Circus Arena, Blackpool Tower which gets underway on Friday.