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Barry Hawkins was clinging onto Judd Trump’s coat-tails after the opening session of the UK Championship final at the York Barbican on Sunday.
Hawkins, who won his semi-final against Mark Allen in the early hours, looked in danger of being swept away by the world number one who is targeting his first UK crown since 2011.
But a typically tenacious display from the 45-year-old saw him dispatch a crucial 81 break in the final frame of the session to cut Trump’s lead to 5-3 ahead of the evening resumption.
It was a tough ask for Hawkins, the first-round conqueror of Ronnie O’Sullivan, to return to the arena a mere 12 hours after his gruelling final-frame decider against Allen, and Trump’s opening break of 73 sounded an ominous warning.
Hawkins responded with a break of 116 to level matters then a cool 70 clearance to clinch the fourth frame by a point and restore parity at 2-2.
Trump duly stepped up a gear to win the next three frames in succession, including a break of 102 in frame six, and it looked like he had made the decisive move against a wilting Hawkins.
But a missed plant in the eighth frame saw Trump run aground on a break of 51, and once again Hawkins delivered, a brilliant red to the top corner teeing him up for a break of 81 that left him still in with a chance on Sunday night.
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