Pick your word to fit the man. Remarkable. Phenomenal. Emotional. Majestic. Pick them all.

In an industry fond of hyperbole, Ken Doherty in defeat last night produced a ground-breaking performance at the Crucible to fit any description the media cared to pin on him.

Entirely discounted as a credible candidate for this 2003 World Championship, Doherty, who trailed 10-2 after 12 frames on the first day, set aside that crushing disappointment to enthral a Sheffield audience for the second time in the competition, but finally fall just short of the world number one, Mark Williams, 18-16.

"I gave it everything," said Doherty. "I gave every ball, every frame 100 per cent."

As the Dubliner limped into yesterday's first session 5-11 down on Williams, who was seeking his third major tournament of the year, the issue of an ignominious departure with a session to spare had been spoken about as a possibility.

But living up to his mantra after beating Paul Hunter in what has been described as the greatest comeback in a semi-final, Doherty "dreamed the win, believed it, visualised it" before keeping Williams glued to his seat as he cut the ground from under him and levelled the match 12-12.

It was an unprecedented response to a frustrating and difficult first day's play and illustrated the 33-year-old's discovery of the fearlessly positive side of his personality, which had given him such a dangerously relentless edge this year.

"At 10-2 down I was looking dead and buried," Doherty admitted. "I probably should have gone home two weeks ago. But, as I've said before, as long as there's hope there you should never give up and when you're ahead, you should never let up.

"I came back well and I gave myself every chance and that's all I wanted to do in the final session.

"When I was coming back, I thought I was really going to do it. But I think after the interval in the first four frames of the night, he really started to play, actually, a bit better than he had all day.

"At the last, I didn't really get a chance at all which was disappointing. But, at that stage, it's quite tough. Everything is quite tough. . . it's disappointing, really disappointing because I gave it everything."

The 1997 champion ably harnessed his emotions, blending his aggression and the driving vocal support of the Crucible with wonderful touch around the table and poise under fierce pressure.

Winning seven out of those eight frames in the afternoon session to draw level was in no one's script, save that of Doherty and not only did it square the match but visibly unnerved the usually serene Williams.

In victory, Williams became one of only five  to win the event twice in modern times alongside Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis.

He took the first frame of the evening session 13-12. Doherty, however, was not prepared to let the match slip and immediately replied with a 92 break to draw level for the third time.

Williams was undeterred and he too conjured a break-winning frame to again nose in front 14-13.

Even at that stage, the match was being hailed as a classic and when Doherty's break in the 28th frame perished at 69, Irish fears sharpened considerably.

However, a missed yellow allowed Doherty in and once more the two were level at 14-14.

Impervious to the pressure, Williams emerged from the interval, having spent it on the practice table with coach Terry Griffiths and again, finding more fluency than in the early stages of the contest, banged in a whirlwind break of 120.

Williams candidly told the media afterwards that at 14-14 he had walked into Griffths and said: "Terry, I'm shitting myself out there, what'll I do? He said if you are under pressure, the best thing to do is to realise it."

Afterwards, the Williams who had swept through the earlier stages of the tournament dropping only 19 frames in four matches emerged, menacingly accurate and less coy with his shot options.

A kick brought his break of 65 to an abrupt end in the 30th frame, but still the 28-year-old ominously stretched his lead to two frames at 16-14.

With the end in sight, Doherty was forced to respond immediately. A 64 break saw to that and once more in this extraordinary contest the demand was on the Dubliner to find the opening.

Seventeen minutes later and a 112 break that job was completed as each player instinctively rose to the challenge.

After 32 frames Williams had not once surrendered the lead and the suspicion was that if Doherty could orchestrate that, the momentum could shift - not only arithmetically - but in the head of Williams.

By then it had come down to who could convert the flimsiest of chances and a certain desperation crept in.

But Williams worked his options with a long pot and rattled in 45 before dominating the last frame for the title.