Barry Hawkins’ Welsh Open win a ‘distant memory’ as injury scuppers progress

Barry Hawkins memorably claimed the Welsh Open title earlier this month, but says that memory is already feeling distant as injury has curtailed his progress since.

The Hawk swooped to win a fifth ranking event of his career in Llandudno, beating Jack Lisowski in the final after a tough run which saw him down the likes of Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Wu Yize.

The 46-year-old was ‘literally seconds from pulling out’ of the event due to a back injury, but was convinced by Robertson and Mark Selby to hit the painkillers and play through the soreness.

It paid off in Wales, but the problem remained and Hawkins was forced to pull out of the World Open in Yushan, leaving him feeling like he has lost momentum after his Llandudno triumph.

Asked how confident he is feeling after the Welsh Open win and ahead of the Tour Championship next week, Hawkins told Metro, via 247bet: ‘It’s funny you should say that, because it’s mad. That tournament seems like a distant memory already, it’s weird.

‘It would have been nice going to the next tournament in China coming off the back of a win, but I just couldn’t go. My back was just too sore.

‘I tried to practise leading up to it. I had a week off after the Welsh to try and rest it, do the stretches and get it better. But I went to practise and it was just too stiff and sore.

‘It was a hard decision because I was thinking I could make the most of it, with the confidence to go out there and who knows, maybe have another deep run.

‘It’s been a few weeks now. So I think the confidence…well until I go back out there on Monday I won’t really know, but I feel pretty good in my game. I just need to get a few more hours in on the table.’

An osteopath has diagnosed the problem as a disc bulge and the pain is easing after initially being seriously concerning in Wales.

‘It’s a lot better,’ said Hawkins. ‘When I was at the Welsh, it was painful every morning. Getting out of bed was a nightmare, I couldn’t put my shoes or socks on.

‘I’ll be all right. It will be nice to just get up in the morning and have no discomfort.’

The world number 11 gave himself some more discomfort after lifting the Ray Reardon trophy, indulging in a significant amount of the tequila available in Llandudno on a Sunday night.

‘We had a little party, well not even a party, just a little drink in the hotel. I had a couple of friends who drove up on the day,’ he said.

‘I had a couple of drinks at 10 o’clock and then by half 12, I think I’d had way too many tequilas and I was passed out! Had to go to bed!

‘I had a sore head on the way home from Llandudo in the car. That wasn’t nice.’

Next up is the Tour Championship in Manchester, starting Monday, followed by the World Championship at the Crucible next month.

The Hawk has a curious record in Sheffield, losing in the first round on his first five visits, before a glorious run which saw him make four semis and a final in six years.

However, the last four years has produced three first round defeats and his only failure to qualify for the Crucible since 2005, so it has been a story in three distinct chapters so far.

‘When I look back, it’s an amazing record, really,’ he said. ‘In that six year period when I was always getting to the one-table set-up. When I look back now, I think, bloody hell, that was quite good going, really.

‘But since then it’s been very disappointing. I’ve lost to players who played well against me. It ain’t like I’ve gone there and completely crumbled,
but not to the top of my game.

‘This season, it’d be lovely to go there and get past the first hurdle and feel part of the tournament again, because it feels like a long time since I’ve been part of it.’

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