An Egghead has been in touch...

Stunning from O'Sullivan. Beautiful straight cueing to get a red. That wasn't easy, but to stun the cueball and get on the back was even more breathtaking.

This will be frame number nine for O'Sullivan in a few minutes time.

Can you believe it? O'Sullivan misses an easy red and breaks down on 26. "That will annoy him," says John Virgo.

It will, the perfectionist that he is.

Gotta say, he kept his composure well though, I was expecting a swipe of the cue or a thump on the table.

O'Sullivan with the first chance in the 10th frame. He'll want to get this over and done with as soon as possible now.

Come to think of it, Hawkins will be wanting the same.

Steve Davis
Six time world champion

"Ronnie was very patient in that frame. he's turned a lot of shots down and decided he's going to make him work as hard as possible. That shows great maturity but it's not Barry's day at all."

John Parrott
1991 world champion

"Incredible. The pink caught the jaw and cannons the cueball and goes in. If he's getting those, we might as well all go home. O’Sullivan has been business-like today, he has played to win."

Oh no, no, no.

When you're lucks out, it's really out.

O'Sullivan misses the pink, which rolls across to the other pocket, wobbles in the jaw, comes back off the white and goes in.

Total disbelief inside the arena, O'Sullivan hangs his head. Hawkins affords a smile.

Ronnie needs just two more frames to win.

A half-chance for O'Sullivan on the pink, but once again, he refuses and plays another excellent safety.

Hawkins is getting punched left and right with some brutal safeties, how is he still standing?

We're watching a star man in Ronnie O'Sullivan at the moment, but he's not exactly blowing our minds.

Hawkins, by the skin of his teeth, takes the blue into the yellow pocket.

Good to see you one of channelling a little bit of David Bowie here. Any other suggestions? Get in touch using #bbcsnooker, external.

NO! Hawkins can't get the brown, instead O'Sullivan gets it. He's 18 ahead with 18 remaining. Just the blue needed.

O'Sullivan strokes in the green...

but NO! He missed the brown.

Can Hawkins take advantage?

Shot, lad. Hawkins punches in a long yellow, but misses the following green with the cueball tight on the cushion...

The reds have vanished, only the colours remaining. Imperative for Hawkins to somehow snatch this frame.

O'Sullivan 45-32 Hawkins.

Image source, AFP

O'Sullivan's focus is turned up to max at the moment, he's refusing the half-chances and playing excellent safety instead.

That's piling the pressure on Hawkins, who's crumbling faster than a chocolate digestive dipped in a cup of tea.

Pin drop silence inside Alexandra Palace as Barry Hawkins tries to take the first frame of the final session.

But he's not in a good place at the moment, missing a relatively easy pink to the middle.

Ronnie plays a cross double safety.

O'Sullivan 27-32 Hawkins at the moment. Tight.

Once more and he gets to keep the cueball

Image source, PA

A misjudgement from Ronnie O'Sullivan, trying to play a red safe but it comes back down the ball. Hawkins knocks it into the middle.

Can he hold his nerve here?

Can't argue with that...