UK Snooker Championship: Judd Trump beats Barry Hawkins 10-8 and jokes 'I wasn't enjoying myself'
Judd Trump finally claimed his second UK Championship title after a long 13-year wait, overcoming a tough fight from Barry Hawkins in York. He remarked that losing this match would have been "the most disappointing defeat ever."
On Sunday evening, Trump was ahead with a score of 9-6 in a race to 10, but Hawkins managed to clinch two consecutive frames, narrowing the gap to just one point. However, when Hawkins missed a red ball, the world number one seized the opportunity and delivered a break of 67, which ultimately secured him a 10-8 victory.
His hard-earned win represented Trump's first title in the UK since 2011 and was also the 30th tournament victory in his risingly impressive career.
Hawkins, who triumphed over Mark Allen in his semi-final early Sunday morning, appeared to be at risk of being overwhelmed by the world number one in the first session. However, he showcased a determined comeback even though he ultimately lost.
"It was an incredibly tough match. Barry really fought hard today, especially given what happened yesterday. He made it quite challenging for me," Trump said in an interview with the BBC following the game.
I wasn't having a good time in my seat at 9-8. I just wanted the whole thing to end. My thoughts were filled with dread; I feared it might turn out to be the worst loss in history.
"It's simply a sense of complete ease."
It was a difficult challenge for Hawkins, who had defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round, to come back to the arena just 12 hours after his intense final-frame showdown with Allen. Trump's initial break of 73 served as a serious warning sign.
Hawkins answered back with a break of 116 to equalize the score and then executed a calm clearance of 70 to win the fourth frame by just one point, bringing the match back to a tie at 2-2.
Trump quickly raised his game and took the next three frames in a row, featuring a impressive break of 102 in the sixth frame. It seemed he had gained a significant advantage over a struggling Hawkins.
However, a missed shot by Trump in the eighth frame caused him to stall at a break of 51. Once again, Hawkins stepped up, sinking a fantastic red into the top corner, which set him up for a break of 81, narrowing the gap to 5-3.
Trump widened his advantage at the beginning of the evening match with a score of 62. However, he gave his opponent a chance to get back in the game during the 10th frame by not taking advantage of a missed black ball. As a result, Hawkins managed to close the gap to 6-5 after more careless mistakes from the world number one.
Nevertheless, Trump managed to bounce back and was ahead 7-5 at the halfway point, but his determined rival went on to take control of the 13th frame, narrowing the gap once more.
After making a break of 53 and then an impressive 133, Trump took a 9-6 lead and was just one frame away from winning the title. However, Hawkins responded with breaks of 75 and 82, narrowing the gap to 9-8.
In a thrilling 18th frame, Trump took a commanding lead of 67-20, appearing almost unbeatable. However, when he missed a chance with a red ball, Hawkins was able to capitalize on the mistake and snatched one of the two snookers he needed.
After a tough battle, Trump sank a long brown ball to overcome Hawkins' determined effort and secure the UK Championship for the first time in 13 years.
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