Barry Hawkins ended the evening session of his World Snooker Championship match with a significant advantage over Mark Williams. Hawkins’ strong performance saw him build a four-frame cushion.
Hawkins Dominates Evening Session
Barry Hawkins was the superior player in the session, winning 6-2 against Mark Williams. According to snooker commentator Steven Hallworth, it feels like Barry Hawkins is starting to break the back of this now.
Hawkins compiled a break of 89 to extend his lead. After a cautious start to the frame, Barry Hawkins found his rhythm, highlighted by a break of 45.
Williams Keeps Himself in the Match
Despite Hawkins’ dominance, Mark Williams managed to keep himself in contention with a crucial clearance in a previous frame. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry noted that Williams was 5-9 down and looking like his Championship was over, but found a clearance from somewhere.
Williams potted the pink and set up perfectly to sink the black for a break of 54, winning the frame 59-58. The frame lasted just over 10 minutes.
However, Mark Williams also potted the white in another frame, conceding the frame to Hawkins. Six-time world champion Steve Davis described it as an amazing display of tactical snooker.
The Gruelling 14th Frame
The 14th frame between Hawkins and Williams lasted 62 minutes. This is not the longest frame in Crucible history. Mark Selby and Yan Bingtao hold that record with an 85-minute, 22-second frame from their second-round match in 2022.
Looking Ahead
The final session of the match will begin at 19:00 BST on Saturday. Stephen Hendry pointed out that players like John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Mark Williams are still competing at a high level because they are fierce competitors.
Hallworth suggests that Mark Williams could have a mountain to climb tomorrow. Don’t write Mark Williams off just yet, he has the ability to pot any ball in front of him…… just needs to link a few together and he’ll come roaring back.