Hawkins shows true grit to edge towards final

McColgan outruns champion Obiri

Barry Hawkins showed the kind of defiance that could land him Crucible glory on Monday as he wrestled back control against Mark Williams in their Betfred World Championship semifinal.

Two-time former winner Williams produced some sparkling snooker before the mid-session interval to reel in Hawkins from 5-3 and draw level at six frames each, and it seemed all the momentum was with the veteran Welshman.

But Hawkins returned from his dressing room rejuvenated and once more took a grip, moving 9-7 clear overnight in the best-of-33 clash of the two left-handers.

Hawkins, 39, has won more matches than any other player at the World Championship across the past five events and this year’s edition. Mark Selby has landed three titles in that time but Hawkins has reached semi-finals five times out of six.

Only once, in 2013, did he extend such a run to reach the final, and Ronnie O’Sullivan had his measure that time. The Kent man began this tournament under the radar but there is nobody ignoring his claims on the title now.

O’Sullivan was back in Sheffield yesterday six days after being knocked out in the second round by Ali Carter, but the five-time champion’s role was as a television pundit.

His appearance in the arena before Hawkins and Williams arrived to resume their battle was a mere sideshow.

Williams failed to qualify for the World Championship last year and toyed with retirement, but picking up his cue again has proved lucrative, with the 43-yearold’s earnings already above £500,000 for the season.

With Hawkins twitching and frowning from his seat, Williams scythed into his opponent’s overnight lead.

A smooth opening 80 break set the early tone, and after they shared the next two frames Williams struck again.

And the interval was no help to the Welshman though. The early fluency was gone, and when Hawkins doubled in the pink to make it three frames in a row it was a brutal blow. Williams hit back with a precious 62 to ensure he would still be in the running in today’s sessions. Eilish McColgan took on a world-class field at the opening Diamond League of the new season in Doha last night.

The Dundee Hawkhill Harrier tracked US athlete Jenny Simpson in the middle of the pack as Kenyan Agnes Tirop made all early running.

Simpson made her move to the front with two laps remaining but it was the Kenyans that celebrated at the finish as Caroline Kipkurui outsprinted Tirop in a time of 8:29.05.

McColgan came 12th in 8:48.03 and also had the satisfaction of beating World and Commonwealth champion Hellen Obiri, who finished 14th.

The stand-out performance on the track came from 400m hurdler Abderrahman Samba (Qatar) with a personal best, world lead, meeting record and national record of 47.57 seconds.

GB’s Jack Green came home in seventh in 50.22. GB sprinter Nethaneeel Mitchell-Blake was fifth over 200m (20.37) as American Noah Lyles blitzed to a meeting record and personal best of 19.83

The women’s 100m provided another highlight as London World Championships double sprint silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou won ahead of Blessing Okagbare and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson.

Caster Semenya, arriving off the back of her victories in the 800m and 1,500m at the Commonwealth Games, continued her middle-distance dominance as she clocked a winning personal best, South African record and world lead of three minutes 59. 92 seconds.

In the field GB pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.64m to finish second behind Sandi Morris (US).