Barry Hawkins reacts as ‘most ridiculous mistake’ sees him sent home from Crucible | Other | Sport
Barry Hawkins was left to rue a critical mistake during the final frame of his World Snooker Championship defeat to Mark Allen. He slipped to a narrow 13-11 loss in their quarter-final showdown and missed several opportunities to put himself in control towards the end of the match.
During the last frame, Hawkins was snookered on the final red but managed to cut it into the corner via a fluke, bouncing off a cushion in the process. He followed up by trying to roll behind the pink to snooker Allen on the yellow, but got his bearings wrong and didn’t use enough power. It allowed Allen to return to the table and sink the yellow and green to wrap up the match.
Speaking afterwards, Hawkins told BBC Sport: “It was a great match all the way through. I just felt like I threw a couple of frames away when I had the balls at my mercy and I think that was the difference at the end.
“Mark was a little bit more clinical finishing the frames off. It was a great match to be involved in but I’m obviously disappointed right now.
“I don’t know why I played the roll-up like that, standing above the cue. I don’t normally play them like that, I’m normally more on the cue. But yeah, I was worried about overhitting it and I didn’t hit in the end.
“I had a great chance at the start of that frame and I threw that frame away again really. A bit disappointed, but Mark played fantastic. I can’t complain, it’s been a great season.
“I’ve climbed up a few places in the rankings and won a tournament along the way. I played some good stuff here, it was only a few frames here and there that I let slip and that was the difference in the end.
“Overall I’m looking forward to a nice break now. It’s been a long season, it’s been a good one. I can’t complain, really.”
BBC commentator Steven Hallworth described Hawkins’ attempted snooker as a ‘ridiculous’ mistake, suggesting that he would be kicking himself over it when looking back on the match.
“How must he be feeling? From the sublimest of flukes to the most ridiculous mistake you could possibly wish to see,” said Hallworth. “You have to feel for Barry. What a time for that to arrive.”
Fellow pundit Steve Davis added: “It’s going to be tough for him to go to sleep tonight. We all feel for him. It’s horrible. The smallest little shot.
“On the level of skill, the tariff of it is so small but if you quit on those roll-ups, over the years we know what happens. Hopefully he can get that out of his brain as quick as possible, wipe the slate clean, go on holiday and forget about it.”
Ken Doherty, meanwhile, said: “He needs to get on a holiday for a little while. It’s a tough way to go out after playing so well. Just that one shot will stick in his mind now because he had a wonderful opportunity.”
