Matthew Stevens beats Barry Hawkins to book quarter-final spot: 2012 World Snooker Championship
Snooker fans watching at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield witnessed a close encounter between the Welshman Matthew Stevens and the 2012 Snooker Shootout winner, England’s Barry Hawkins as the cuemen played impressively in the second round of the 2012 World
Snooker Championship.
After a superb display of snooker skills at the baize, the Welshman was able to win the match by the score line of 13-11 and book a place in the quarter-final stage of the mega event.
The clash was expected to be a thriller and the odds were favouring the Welsh potter because he was in impressive form. However, the start of the match was not according to Stevens’ hopes as Hawkins clinched a two-frame lead over the Welsh Dragon by the
score line of 8-6 at the end of the first two sessions of the game.
Stevens clinched four frames to snatch the lead from Hawkins at 10-8 and put him under immense pressure. The Hawk bounced back into the game and cruised into two-frame wins to pull level at 10-10 firing two outstanding breaks of 64 and 63. The next two scrappy
frames were taken by the Welshman and he breezed into two-frame lead again at 12-10.
The 33-year-old Hawkins moved within one frame up at 12-11 after smashing a stunning half-century break of 51. The 24th frame proved to be the final frame as Stevens pocketing a superb clearance of 57 to win the game by the score line of 13-11.
While speaking to World Snooker, Stevens said, “It was very tough. I stuck in there yesterday after being 3-0 down and Barry played very solidly in the opening few frames and I was under the cosh all the way.”
The Welsh Dragon added, “Today was very tense, both of us kept missing balls and it was tough but it is nice to get back to a quarter-final. I am taking each match as it comes but I feel comfortable amongst the balls.”
Stevens will next meet compatriot Ryan Day in the quarter-final stage of the 2012 World Snooker Championship. It will be interesting to see how Stevens manages to build up some confidence in his game and move forward in the tournament.
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