Barry Hawkins outlasts Mark Allen in thriller to book place in UK Championship final

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Barry Hawkins made a comeback to defeat Mark Allen 6-5, earning himself a spot in the UK Championship final.

The five-hour marathon semi-final came down to a final frame, with Hawkins managing to bounce back after trailing 4-2 and then 5-4.

Hawkins is set to face Judd Trump in the final on Sunday after defeating world champion Kyren Wilson with a score of 6-2 earlier today.

Hawkins, who made it through the qualifying rounds and defeated the current champion Ronnie O'Sullivan to reach the semifinals, won the first frame against world number three Allen.

Allen responded by taking four out of the next five frames, but Hawkins fought back with breaks of 57 and 84 to level the match.

In the ninth frame, Allen managed to pull ahead once more, but Hawkins responded by scoring the only century of the match, ultimately securing his win just before 1am.

Hawkins described the lengthy confrontation as “challenging.”

"After getting through that match, I'm absolutely thrilled. It wasn't exactly enjoyable to watch. I managed to have one solid game to even the score at 5-5, but I can't recall many other moments that stood out. It was really just a struggle," he expressed.

I hung in there and kept pushing forward because that's all you can really do. I made an effort not to be too hard on myself. When you're having a rough game and missing shots, it can feel really tough.

"You never know what might happen. I stumbled across the finish line tonight, and I'm really glad I was able to push through."

Although Trump didn't deliver the same impressive performance that led him to easily defeat Zhang Anda in the quarter-finals, he still managed to secure a victory over Wilson. This win puts him in position for another chance at winning the prestigious trophy, which he last claimed in 2011.

When asked if his recent notable defeats were on his mind, Trump told BBC Sport, “You shouldn’t enter the situation with the mindset that you’ve lost the last two times; otherwise, you’ll have no chance of success.”

The beginning was a little rough, and I found myself thinking, "Here we go again." I think we both felt that we could take advantage of one another, so I focused on playing my own game and staying composed.

Trump later claimed that the criticism regarding his performance in significant events—where he has reached nine finals but has only won four—is unjust.

“I believe my track record in the triple crowns is quite impressive,” maintained Trump.

"I’ve made it to many finals and semi-finals, but the key distinction between winning and losing in a final is that if you lose, people tend to forget you. That last game holds so much significance, so it really comes down to pushing through to victory."