UK Championship 2024: Judd Trump fights off Barry Hawkins challenge for Triple Crown glory in enthralling final

Judd Trump secured UK Championship glory for the second time after holding off a fightback from Barry Hawkins to claim a 10-8 success at the Barbican in York on Sunday evening. Trump led after the afternoon session and did enough to keep Hawkins at bay. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Shoot Out, live and on demand on Eurosport and discovery+

Judd Trump fended off the challenge of Barry Hawkins to win the UK Championship for the second time in his career.

Trump has been a winning machine at the elite level of the sport, but his conversion rate in Triple Crown events had not been good.

For a player who arrived in York with 29 ranking titles to his name, he had only one UK Championship, two Masters and one World Championship in his trophy cabinet.

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But he doubled his UK tally by beating Hawkins 10-8, with this title coming 13 years on from his first.

It was his third trophy of the season, supplementing his wins at the Shanghai Masters and Saudi Arabia Masters, and reinforced his position as world No. 1.

Hawkins adopted an attacking mindset at the start of the evening session and wriggled a tough red in the jaws of the bottom right to leave Trump a chance in the opening frame of the evening.

Once again, he looked excellent in compiling a half-century break, but was unable to kill off the ninth in a single visit.

Unlike in earlier frames, Trump had insurance balls on cushions. Hawkins was unable to counter and Trump got back in to secure the frame and restore his three-frame lead.

‘What a shot’ - Trump pots a brown and develops reds

Video credit: TNT Sports

Hawkins had a lot of support inside the Barbican in York, and a huge cheer greeted a good opening red in the 10th.

A collective groan greeted a missed black from Hawkins, but a slack shot from Trump allowed him back to the table to get his first frame of the evening.

There were a couple of alarming misses from Trump in the 11th, and Hawkins took advantage to win a 29-minute frame to get back within one for the first time since the fifth frame.

There were concerning signs for Trump in the 11th, but he stopped the Hawkins charge by taking the 12th.

Hawkins was handed an unexpected piece of table time when Trump fouled in attempting to pot a red, but he played a poor safety and a run of 67 took Trump into the interval with the two-frame cushion he began the evening with.

Hawkins refused to wilt and runs of 38 and 45 saw him take the 13th to peg Trump’s lead to one frame.

Hawkins got in first in the 14th but his hopes of drawing level were ended by a poor positional shot when on a break of 35. Trump won a safety exchange and made 53 to move two clear at 8-6.

Trump made his dash for the winning line in imperious fashion, as he fashioned his second century of the match to get within one frame of the title.

Trump makes total clearance in 15th frame of UK final

Video credit: TNT Sports

Hawkins won tight battles against David Gilbert and Mark Allen in reaching the final, and he kept himself in the hunt again with a brilliant break of 75 in the 16th.

He followed that run with a knock of 82 in the 17th to leave Trump sitting nervously in his seat.

Trump’s shoulders slumped when he missed a red by a margin at the start of the 18th frame, but he got a second bite when Hawkins saw a red to the left middle turn to the left, hit the bottom jaw and stay out.

The hard work was done for Trump, with Hawkins splitting the pack. Trump accepted the invitation as he picked off a break of 67 to leave his opponent needing two snookers.

Hawkins returned to the table, and he caused a few nerves with some devilish snookers. Trump missed on one occasion, but he held off the Hawkins charge and celebrated with a clench of the fist when sinking the brown after a 22-minute spell without potting a ball.

In closing out the match, Trump joined Alex Higgins on five Triple Crown titles.

afternoon session: trump secures narrow lead

Judd Trump won three of the final four frames of the first session to secure a 5-3 lead in the UK Championship final against Barry Hawkins.

Hawkins could have been forgiven for feeling jaded after his late-night finish in the semi-finals, but he matched Trump in the early exchanges as the opening four frames were shared.

But Hawkins found himself on the back foot after the interval, as Trump won three frames in a row to take the lead.

Hawkins produced a superb break in the final frame of the session to keep himself alive in the race to 10.

Trump spoke prior to his semi-final against Kyren Wilson of his desire to make a rapid start. It did not work out as he hoped against Wilson as he lost the first two frames, but he made a swift beginning to the final.

He knocked in a superb opening red and ran through a break of 73 to draw first blood.

After taking the opening frame in impressive fashion, it was a surprise to see Trump miss a blue to the right middle.

It handed Hawkins a scoring opportunity, and he knocked in a couple of excellent reds in a nerve-settling contribution of 116 to dispel any fears about fatigue.

‘Listen to the roar’ - Hawkins gets on the board in UK final with century break

Video credit: TNT Sports

There was a false start to the third, with both agreeing to a re-rack. Trump made an adventurous break of 29 before running for baulk, and those points played to his advantage as the table turned extremely scrappy.

Trump played a telling safety to fashion a second chance, and he picked off a break of 34 to restore his lead. 

The final sparked into life with a dramatic fourth frame. Trump was a hot favourite to take it after making 69, but the split of the cluster did not go to plan, and it provided a lifeline to Hawkins.

Trump’s failure to put one of the reds safe came back to bite him, as Hawkins got in and picked off a brilliant break of 70 to snatch the fourth and draw level at the interval.

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Trump looked extremely frustrated as he left the arena for the interval, and was seen on the practice table.

He returned to knock in a superb opening red and while he did not kill off the fifth frame in a single visit, he got in again to edge back in front.

Trump opened up daylight when taking the sixth, but his 10th century of the tournament was only possible after Hawkins missed a green.

'Brilliantly crafted' - Trump makes century break against Hawkins in UK Championship final

Video credit: TNT Sports

The Trump onslaught continued in the seventh, but for the third frame in a row he was let in by Hawkins.

Hawkins looked set to take the seventh, but missed the penultimate red and Trump picked his pocket to open up a three-frame lead.

Trump looked good to take a four-frame advantage into the evening, but his break came to an end at 51.

A safety battle ensued before Hawkins knocked in a stunning long red, and he solved a difficult puzzle to pick off a break of 81 and cut the gap to two heading into the evening.

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