Hawk(W)ins Australian Goldfields Open

Barry Hawkins, the 2012 Australian Open champion

Barry Hawkins won 9-3 over Peter Ebdon to conquer his first ever ranking title, in the final of the Australian Goldfields Open. 

If at the beginning of this year Barry Hawkins was lifting the trophy of the Shoot-Out event, now it was time to see him win a proper ranking event in response for his hard work and devotion to the game of snooker.

The race was a tough one, Barry having to take on China's Xiao Guodong (whom he hammered 5-1), the Welsh Dragon, Matthew Stevens (whom he beat 5-2), both last year and this year terrifying Matthew Selt (whom was defeated 5-3) and his mate and baize partner Mark Davis (who lost 6-4).

The final battle was given against a much revived Peter Ebdon, who unfortunately for him didn't get into the match early enough, Hawkins on the other hand, having a smooth run of the ball that finally guided him to the victory.

Ebdon managed to win a very scrappy affair that was marking his first point on the scoreboard, before Hawkins flew decisively at 4-1 up with only a few more frames to go until the first session was coming to an end.

Peter Ebdon, thye 2012 Australian Open runner-up

Two century breaks, of 113 and 106 were hit in the process of freezing the scoreline at 5-3, when the mid-session interval kicked off, leaving Ebbo with a lot of catching up to do after the break.

Ebdon tried and tried, but it seemed useless in front of such a determined-to-win opponent who was grabbing one frame after another.

Breaks of 133, 26, 74 and 51 secured Hawkins to be leaving with a trophy in his arms by the end of the day, as the final result says it all: 9-3.

After the match, Ebdon said that although it's always hard to lose, he's more happy than ever to have reached the final (considering the problems with his cue), but more importantly that he's delighted that Barry won his first ranking event.

Barry and his well-fought, well-deserved trophy

Asked how he feels, Barry hardly found words to describe his ecstatic feelings and that he's over the Moon with the final result, almost breaking out "like an idiot" (as he himself stated) when the MC mentioned the fact than he's been away form his family for so long, playing on the Main Tour.

Barry Hawkins today’s win is indeed a brilliant victory and a very interesting one, if we take into account the fact that last year Stuart Bingham was also winning his first ever ranking event.
Seems like the Australian Open has been turned into a genuine launch facility for the players that are not in the spot light very often, but who are very talented and ambitious.