Barry Hawkins shows true colours with message to Kyren Wilson after German Masters
Barry Hawkins shows true colours with message to Kyren Wilson after German Masters
Share:
Barry Hawkins showed his true colours by admitting Kyren Wilson was the “stronger player” after his narrow defeat in the German Masters final. Hawkins, 45, was edged out 10-9 by the world champion in Berlin on Sunday. The Hawk enjoyed a bright start in which he won the first two frames, and the pair matched each other as the game reached 9-9 and a decider. Wilson went on to claim the dramatic last frame despite missing a plant, handing Hawkins his second defeat in a final this season, having made it to the UK Championship showpiece before having to settle for runner-up.
Yet the world No. 12 was gracious in defeat, refusing to make excuses. He instead said: “I felt like I was just holding onto Kyren all day, I felt like he was playing better than me, he was the stronger player. “In the end at 9-9 it’s anybody’s. I’ve had a great week, great crowd, great support, another good tournament so onwards and upwards. It’s been a good season so far. It’s a shame I didn’t get the win but Kyren deserved the win, he played better than I did.”.
Wilson won his first ever World Championship last year, overcoming Jak Jones in the final. The world No. 2's fine form also saw him reach the finals of the Masters, only to fall short and lose to Shaun Murphy. Hawkins' response was similarly classy when he lost to Judd Trump at the UK Championship in December, after Trump came back from 9-6. Rather than letting his emotions get the better of him, Hawkins instead heaped praise on his opponent.
"I'm still fighting. Days like this make it worthwhile," said Hawkins, who reclaimed his place in the top 16 and gained a spot at last month's Masters thanks to his run in York. "If someone had told me I'd get to the final, I'd have taken it. Once I was in the final, you want to win. Today was a great game. I've lost to the best player in the world.”. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.
