Barry Hawkins spoke of one of the best wins of his career after holding his nerve to edge Ronnie O’Sullivan in a final frame thriller and reach the World Championship quarter-finals.
Hawkins saw a 12-9 lead evaporate as the five-time world champion launched a sensational fightback to level but the Kent 37-year-old carved a break of 56 out of a scrappy final frame to nudge over the line.
The 13-12 victory gave Hawkins his first win over O’Sullivan in 14 years –the other came in their first ever meeting – and came only three months after he was humiliated 10-1 by the same player in the Masters final at Alexandra Palace.
Hawkins said: “It’s definitely up there – it’s so tough intimidating playing Ronnie out there and not many people can beat him over three sessions, so it is a massive confidence boost and proves I can compete with anyone.
“I was feeling the pressure big-time, but especially in the way he came back at me. He just makes it look so effortless at times and it winds you up – there’s me twitching about and he’s just flowing.
“I knew I had to play really well but I definitely had a different mindset from going into the Masters final. I’m just delighted to get another victory over him after 14 years – it might be 14 years before I beat him again.”
O’Sullivan’s stunning one-visit snooker looked set to pay off as breaks of 124 and 92 – made up of 11 reds and 11 blacks – set him on the way to clawing back a 12-9 deficit.
Of the 12 frames ultimately won by O’Sullivan, he scored four centuries and a further seven winning breaks of more than 50, but the five-time champion admitted the fact his safety game was not up to scratch cost him dear.
O’Sullivan said: “I fancied my chances but when a frame goes like that it’s a bit of a toss of a coin and if there was a weakness in my game it was definitely on the tactical side.
“I was second best in 90 or even 100% of every frame that went like that, and if it wasn’t won in one visit I probably lost all of them. I feel like a golfer birdieing 15 holes but taking triple-triple bogeys on three holes.”
The manner of O’Sullivan’s defeat – which was sealed by an unfortunate in-off which scuppered any final chance he had of rescuing the deciding frame – clearly hit him hard and he revealed all was not well behind the scenes.
Referring to his failure to attend a press conference following his first-round win over David Gilbert, O’Sullivan said: “I don’t want to go into detail. I wasn’t in a fit state to really come in. I find it difficult being a figurehead of the sport with all the attention on me and such a high expectation on me, including from myself, and sometimes I don’t handle that well.
“Hopefully with a bit of help and support I can manage the pressure and stress I put on myself and that comes from you guys as well, because you kind of make out I’ve won the tournament before I even turn up.”
Hawkins will next face Marco Fu in the last eight while Kyren Wilson will take on the world No1 Mark Selby after enhancing his credentials by completing a 13-9 win over Mark Allen.
