Barry Hawkins Stuns Mark Allen, Faces Judd Trump in UK Final

Barry Hawkins secured a dramatic 6-5 victory over Mark Allen in a final-frame decider to reach his first UK Championship final. The match which ended at 00:57 GMT saw Hawkins, 45, make a stunning comeback from a 4-2 and 5-4 deficit. His crucial breaks of 57, 84 and 114 allowed him to force a deciding frame where he triumphed in a tense finish. Barry Hawkins, who had previously defeated reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the first round expressed his exhaustion after the intense battle, saying, “It was ridiculous, so hard from start to finish.”

In the earlier match, world number one Judd Trump defeated Kyren Wilson 6-2 to advance to the final.  Trump’s win provided some revenge after earlier defeats to Wilson in the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open. Although Wilson led 2-0, Trump turned the match around by winning six consecutive frames including a break of 65 before sealing victory with another century.

Trump commented on Wilson’s missed pots with the rest, saying, “It changed the game.” The match between Trump and Wilson failed to meet expectations with both players struggling to find their usual rhythm. Despite Trump’s two centuries, the match lacked the high-scoring excitement anticipated. Both players mentioned issues with the tables with Wilson particularly critical of the table conditions.

He claimed the tables were drifting to the right which impacted their play. A World Snooker spokesperson responded, noting that the table-fitting team works to high standards but relies on player feedback for improvements. Trump and Wilson’s frustrations over the table conditions added a layer of tension to an otherwise underwhelming contest.