Kyren Wilson claims the European Masters title

Kyren Wilson beat Barry Hawkins 9-3 to win the European Masters title, in a match that proved surprisingly stop-start and showed little of the impressive match-playing both players demonstrated to reach the final. It was Wilson who would ultimately fare better, taking an unexpectedly easy win as a result.

Whoever won the match, it would be a maiden European Masters title awarded that night. In the career stats, there was nothing between the two players, so it really was anyone’s game – Wilson and Hawkins had both demonstrated fine form to reach the final, and both were rearing to go.

That said, it was a tense opening frame, started with an excellent long red courtesy of Hawkins, but both players struggled to get going. Eventually, Wilson did enough to inch over the finish line, but he hadn’t yet built a sense of momentum. It was another scrappy frame in the second, with Hawkins eventually forcing a respotted black – he slipped up on the safety exchange, and Wilson rolled it in.

Hawkins struggled to get going, and was out of position on a red he needed in frame three. Wilson got it, and cemented a 3-0 lead. And it looked as if it would be 4-0 heading into the mid-session interval, until Wilson missed on 54. With 67 points left, Hawkins cleared the table and got onto the scoreboard.

Hawkins, who had incredible form throughout the tournament, just couldn’t get it going when it counted

Hawkins looked ready in frame five, and after Wilson missed a red with the rest, breaks of 51 and 55 were enough to cut the gap to one. But this was his last major contribution of the session. It was another tough frame in frame six, but Wilson established a 52-point lead to leave Hawkins needing snookers. Soon, he tied up the loose ends to lead 4-2. It was a similar story in frame seven, right down to the snookers required and the score line. Wilson made a 56 in frame eight, Hawkins couldn’t respond, and the afternoon session ended 6-2 to the Kettering player.

After a slow start, there were fingers crossed that the standard would rise for the evening session. Hawkins knew he had to go for it, and he compiled the highest break of the match thus far with 64. Wilson missed one chance, failing to pot a tough green along the cushion, but his opponent couldn’t capitalise – Wilson cleared up, moving to within two frames of victory. After another stop-start frame, Hawkins took advantage of an opportunity to post another frame on the board, and then both players struggled to pot simple blacks to extend breaks in frame 11. Ultimately, the frame went the way of Wilson – he was now one from victory, with Hawkins needing six on the trot.

It didn’t seem likely, and the match concluded as it had been played – a scrappy frame, in which each player struggled to take advantage of chances when they appeared. Wilson did enough, though, and won 9-3, claiming his fifth title in the process. Hawkins, who had incredible form throughout the tournament, just couldn’t get it going when it counted – for Wilson, he’ll be hoping that this early-season momentum translates into something bigger.