Barry Hawkins edges Stephen Maguire in a final frame thriller – 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship
Barry Hawkins has defeated Stephen Maguire by a frame score of 10-9 in the first round of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, which is being held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England.
The Livewire, Stephen Maguire, who was the favourite for the match, has fallen down in the last-32. However, the Hawk, Barry Hawkins, on the same note produced an accomplished performance to register his
first win ever at the Crucible Theatre. The overall score-line between both players was 24-78, 44-56, 44-84, 21-69, 75-13, 23-53, 123-7, 15-80, 71-54, 67-22, 14-65, 5-105, 65-18, 66-53, 68-39, 72-6, 12-98, 75-9 and 0-101.
Hawkins took a flying start, as he stormed into a 4-0 lead with dominant breaks of 73 and 72 in the first and the third frame respectively. He was also the first one to be among the balls in the fifth
frame but this time he lost his concentration and Maguire finally got a chance to break his duck with a decisive break of 41.
Fifth frame was cagey as many chances were seen coming and going before Maguire got an exceptional chance. It looked as if he was going to reduce the deficit but he failed to capitalise and the frame went
in Hawkins favour. However, he managed to pocket the sixth frame with a break of 68 before Hawkins fired up a classy break of 73 in the seventh to restore his four frames lead by 6-2.
Hawkins could have ended the first session with a five frames lead, 7-2, but he missed a pink off the spot in the ninth frame after a break of 47 which gave Maguire a chance to end the session trailing
6-3.
On resuming the game, Scotland’s professional, Maguire, took the first frame after a battle of safety. Maguire again clawed back with breaks of 53 and 71 in the next two to lead his opponent scores 8-4.
It looked as if the match was through before the world’s number six, Maguire, who was left down by four frames with six to play, bounced back into the game, with all of his zeal, energy and strength, and
levelled things by 8-8. He clinched four frames in a row with only two dominant breaks of 64 and 50 in the sixth and seventh frame respectively.
It looked as if Maguire was going to win the match as he made a great comeback but it turned into a completely different story when the world number twenty-five, Hawkins, produced a carving break of 62
to get in front once again at 9-8.
Maguire managed to force the final deciding frame without doing anything outstanding and Hawkins finished the matter off with a mind-boggling match-highest break of 92.
It was an extra-ordinary performance by the Englishman before he finally recorded his first win at the Crucible Theatre.
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