Hawkins out but not down

Ditton’s Barry Hawkins insists he played better than opponent Kyren Wilson – despite crashing out in the first round of the Dafabet Masters on Tuesday. The former World Championship finalist scored two centuries and an 85 but bad luck in the final two frames sent him out 6-4. Hawkins almost pulled out of the match due to illness so was left buoyed by his display, even though he looked on in frustration as Wilson fluked a frame-deciding red and landed a fortunate snooker on his way to win. “I think I played better than him, I know that sounds mad but I was 2-1 up and on a break of 33 when I decelerated on a red and missed,” the left-hander said. “I don’t think it was a bad game. There were a couple of scrappy frames at the end and he had some luck on his side. “I thought I played well considering I was in bed the day before. Last night I was in bits, I was shivering and shaking so I was pleased with the way I did in the end.” Hawkins began the match in style by firing in a superb 131 but Wilson, in just his second appearance at Alexandra Palace, responded with a break of 56 in the second. Hawkins made 120 to win the third but Wilson won three of the next four frames, with two centuries of his own. Hawkins pulled level at 4-4 with an 85 but luck favoured Wilson, with a fluked red in the ninth allowing him to move a frame clear again before he won the match in the next when he accidentally put Hawkins in a snooker.

Watch the Dafabet Masters live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Neil Robertson, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.