Multiple World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will play Barry Hawkins in the 2013 Betfair World Championship final
Four-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will face Barry Hawkins in the Betfair World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump 17-11 in his semi-final which finished on Saturday afternoon, whilst his opponent beat Ricky Walden 17-14 late on Saturday night.
The ‘Rocket’ returned to competitive snooker on the opening day of the tournament when he beat qualifier Marcus Campbell 10-4 before he eased past the ‘Captain’ Ali Carter 13-8 in the second.
O’Sullivan then thrashed world number eight Stuart Bingham in the quarter-final before beating Trump over four sessions.
Hawkins, on the other hand, opened up their campaign with an easy 10-3 win over Jack Lisowski before knocking out world number one Mark Selby in the second round.
The world number 14 who lives in Kent then saw off Ding Junhui 13-7 in his quarter-final.
The former world number one, O’Sullivan, is now ranked 28th in the world having not played the sport competitively since he beat Carter in the World Championship final last year.
Whereas Hawkins has appeared in 13 different tournaments, this season, prior to this one.
O’Sullivan, who has never been behind in a match throughout this year’s World Championship ended the first session against Trump level at 4-4 before he pulled away in the second to hold a 9-7 advantage at the halfway stage.
The ‘Ace in the Pack’ then left himself too much to do get back into the match as he went in search of his first World Championship, but O’Sullivan did enough to see off his opponent with just three frames played in the final session, which meant the crowd were treated to an exhibition match between Stephen Hendry and Dennis Taylor, who was wearing his trademark glasses.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn with the Betfair World Championship Trophy
The ‘Rocket’, who has never been behind during the 2013 World Championship, reflected on his win over Trump: “It was tough because I don’t think either of us played anywhere near our best. There was a lot of tension out there during the sessions.
“We practice in the same environment and used to have the same manager so obviously that creates a derby match feel.
“Then you have the crowd who are excited by the way Judd plays and over the years I’ve also had such great support.”
He added: “Everyone was really geared up for it with the newcomer and the future of the game against someone who’s been around for a long time and wears his heart on his sleeve.”
O’Sullivan admitted that, in an idealistic world, he would return to the Crucible in 2014. However, he said that he has other pressures in his life and he does not want to add snooker to that list.
“It seems the better I do, the more I’m going to be punished so in some ways it’s easier for me to play in a few smaller events and earn less money but have less stress from having court orders slapped all over me because it’s a pressure I could do without go through the next 10 or 12 years.
“In an ideal world I’d love to be back here next year but every time I go out there to play, the money is paid out straight away so I’m just keeping the wolf away from the door,” the ‘Rocket continued.
“Sometimes I’m better off not earning because they don’t want to know you when you’ve got no money. I’ve spent £250,000 on lawyers’ fees over the last three years plus the court orders plus this and that and I just think there’s no point of playing, I might as well be skint.
“That’s why I took a year out because I though there is no point and I just want to get on with my life and enjoy myself. I don’t want the added pressure of snooker and lawyers.”
O’Sullivan said in the direct aftermath of his thrilling victory over Trump that it was an unbelievable feeling to reach the World Championship final for the fifth time in his career.
“It would be great but like any tournament that I play in they all feel like World Championship’s to me. I enjoy playing and the competition, but the pressure is a lot more severe here. In some ways this is more difficult to enjoy, but it is one of them that you need to have on your CV so obviously five will look better than four,” he said.
“I think everybody will admit that it is much more enjoyable and relaxing playing in the lower key events. The atmosphere here and all the build up that you media guys put into it pumps it up and all the crowd feed off of that.”
The ‘Rocket’ added: “In some ways it is hard to really enjoy it because everybody puts so much importance on it.”
In his semi-final match Hawkins’ opportunity to reach the world final for the first time in his career seemed bleak after being 12-8 down at one stage. However, the ‘Hawk’ won eight frames in a row to surge to within two frames of victory.
The reigning Australian Open champion, who has never faced O’Sullivan at the World Championship, potted the white ball twice in the 28th frame but he was left off the hook as Walden miscued on an easy red which allowed Hawkins the opportunity to wrap up the frame 98-29 and close to within one of the match.
However, Walden had other ideas after he won his first frame since the early afternoon 86-1 before taking the following one 63-9 to cut Hawkins’ lead back to two frames.
Hawkins won eight frames in a row as he overcame Ricky Walden in his semi-final
Hawkins remained composed in the 31st frame after Walden potted the red at the same time as the blue.
The London-born cue man then struck a shallow break of 36 to ensure that we would be taking home at least £125,000 from this tournament.
Reflecting on his semi-final win, the ‘Hawk’ said: “I am stunned. It just did not feel real. Once I potted that red I knew I was in the final.
“I just can’t believe it to be honest, it does not feel real. I felt surprisingly calm. When I speak to everybody back home and I see everyone it will definitely sink in.
“I do not know. It was just sheer determination I think. To be 9-7 down the way that I was playing was unbelievable to be honest,” he continued.
“I was just trying so hard and I thought Ricky was by far the better player.
“The last two sessions I managed to find a bit of form. I knocked a few centuries in earlier and it was a massive last frame earlier. I managed to find some form through determination.”
Hawkins, whose family are travelling up from Kent for the final, insists he has to enter the match believing that he can be the first player to beat O’Sullivan in a World Championship final.
“I have got nothing to lose, but there is still pressure. I think when the pressure goes it gives people the feeling that you do not care. If there is pressure it shows that you care and that you want to win,” said the ‘Hawk’.
“I just go out there in the frame of mind that I can go out there and win. I don’t want to think about who I am playing. I will play each ball one at a time and if I can play at the top of my game then who knows.
“I have got to, if I don’t then there is no point in me even turning up. I am in the final now and I have got to believe that. I know it is going to be hard but I will be trying my hardest.
The 2012 Betfair Snooker Shootout champion added: “Everybody loves an underdog and I was a massive outsider before the start of the tournament. Hopefully people will warm to me and the neutrals are on my side. Hopefully everybody will be rooting for me.”
O’Sullivan won the final last year when he beat Carter 18-11 in front of a packed Crucible crowd. The ‘Rocket’ first lifted snooker’s most prestigious trophy in 2011 when he beat John Higgins 18-14.
Three years later he went on to beat Graeme Dott 18-8 before shooting down ‘Captain’ Carter by the same score line in 2008.
The first session gets underway at 2pm on Sunday afternoon, with the second session at 7pm. The match continues on Bank Holiday Monday, again at 2pm and 7pm.
Words: Adam Grice
Photos: Getty Images, Betting Pro and On Q Promotions
The Sporting Section 