Judd Trump's four-word message to Barry Hawkins after 'I wasn't enjoying myself' remark
Judd Trump appraised Barry Hawkins after their dramatic UK Championship final last year, where Trump won 10-8 despite fearing it could be his "worst loss of all time'"
World No. 1 Judd Trump didn't hold back his thoughts on Barry Hawkins as they potentially gear up for another showdown at the UK Championship. The pair battled it out in last year's York final, with Trump clinching his second championship title after a close 10-8 victory.
Snooker legend Trump comfortably advanced to this year's second round on Saturday following a 6-4 triumph over Stephen Maguire, during which he requested a disruptive fan to be ejected. He's now set to face China's Si Jiahui in the second round on Wednesday, the day after 14th seed Hawkins kicks off his tournament against David Lilley.
'The Ace In The Pack' fought his way to victory at the Barbican last year, having established a 9-6 lead over Hawkins. However, 'The Hawk' retaliated to briefly make it a one-frame match at 9-8.
Despite Trump managing to secure the win, he confessed he "wasn't enjoying himself" after Hawkins showed grit to make if a dogfight. Instead, he ended a 13-year drought for his second UK Championship title, leaving The Hawk devastated in the process.
In a post-match interview with the BBC, Trump said: "It was such a hard game. The way Barry battled today, considering what happened yesterday, was incredible. He made it so hard for me.
READ MORE: Judd Trump loses his cool at UK Championship and demands fan is removed after interruptionREAD MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan's fine for lewd gesture and why he hid face with towel at UK Championship"I wasn't enjoying myself in the seat at 9-8. I just wanted to get it over with. I was thinking the worst; it could be the worst loss of all time. It's just pure relief."
Trump's initial praise was in reference to Hawkins' 6-5 comeback victory over Mark Allen in the tournament's semi-finals. He was trailing 4-2 at one stage in the penultimate round but fought back to triumph 6-5 in the early hours of the morning before facing Trump that same day.
The Hawk described his "gruelling" encounter with Allen and said he was "completely drained" after their back-and-forth battle. And there's a strong possibility Trump benefited enormously from securing that earlier slot in the finale.
Unlike Trump, last year's runner-up finish marked Hawkins' first visit to the UK Championship final. The Ace In The Pack has appeared in the UK Championship's climactic fixture on four occasions and claimed victory in two of those.
Before last year, Hawkins' previous best was a run to the semis in 2021, where he once again fell to the eventual champion, Zhao Xintong. The following year, he crashed out in the first round to Ding Junhui, who went on to reach the final himself before losing to Allen.
All that to say The Hawk tends to have his wings clipped by elite opposition if he does exit the running at the UK Championship these days. Trump, meanwhile, has already surpassed his previous title defence at the UK Championship, having been knocked out in the first round of the 2012 tournament.
Trump and Hawkins can only reignite their rivalry in York if they both reach the final, having been placed in separate halves of the bracket. And Hawkins carries momentum into this contest having convincingly won their last face-off at the Tour Championship in April.
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