Hawkins defeats eight-time UK champion O'Sullivan

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Barry Hawkins met in the 2013 World Championship final, with O'Sullivan winning 18-12

Eight-time UK champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was knocked out on the opening day of the 2024 event, losing 6-4 against world number 20 Barry Hawkins, who called the win one of the best of his career.

O'Sullivan led 3-1 and 4-2 at the York Barbican before Hawkins played some superb snooker to complete a shock win.

"It has been eight years since I've beaten him so that win has to be right up there for me," said Hawkins, after only his third win in 21 matches with O'Sullivan.

"It's a massive win. So many times I've played him and he has done well and other times he has been there for the taking and I've crumbled and could not take advantage.

"He looked sharp to me, but I felt strong at the end to get a win. Hopefully this gives me a lot of confidence and I can take that into the next round, but I can't get carried away."

Hawkins, 45, lost 18-12 to O'Sullivan in the 2013 World Championship final and led 9-6 in the 2021 Tour Championship semi-finals, only to lose 10-9 in the last frame.

The Englishman, who had to fight through two rounds of qualifying to get to York, admitted he feared the worst when he was drawn against 48-year-old O'Sullivan.

"I thought 'here we go, I'm going home again'," said Hawkins, who will face either China's Xiao Guodong or England's David Gilbert in the last 16.

"So many times I've been on the brink of winning against Ronnie and it has gone to the last frame and I've lost a decider. Maybe I was a bit more aggressive today, I had a bit more confidence and belief.

"Obviously this is a great result but there's no way I will be happy if I beat Ronnie and then lose in the next round. I know I can do it, but sometimes I've not turned up, played awful and crumbled, but I've now just beaten the best player in the world."

'I'm just enjoying playing, that's the important thing'

Ronnie O'Sullivan won the UK Championship title in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2023

Top seed O'Sullivan started well as he recorded century breaks of 128 and 114 and won three of the opening four frames in a packed arena.

Hawkins took the first frame after the mid-session interval, with O'Sullivan then showing his frustration as he hit the table with his fist following a missed red into the middle pocket.

O'Sullivan then just had to sit and watch as Hawkins scored more than 290 unanswered points and won four frames in a row on his way to clinching a memorable victory.

Hawkins led 60-0 in the 10th frame but O'Sullivan got one last chance, although he could not fight back and save the match.

"Barry played a good match and deserved his win, so I have to give all the credit to him," said O'Sullivan. "He played well, was solid and took his chances.

"I'm just enjoying playing, that's the important thing. I try to not look back on it and on to whatever the next event is."

'Soul-searching' Murphy beats returning Zhao

Former world and UK champion Shaun Murphy also moved into the last 16, thanks to a 6-5 win over Zhao Xintong.

Zhao, who won this tournament in 2021, was playing his first major tournament match after serving a 20-month ban.

He was one of 10 players banned in the corruption scandal, but after a suspension of one year and eight months, has returned and qualified for the UK Championship.

Zhao did not directly throw a match but was initially suspended for two and a half years, reduced after his early admissions and guilty plea. He accepted charges of being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.

Murphy took the opening frame on the black as he moved into a 3-0 lead, aided by breaks of 98 and 76, only for Zhao to win two frames also on the black as he made it 3-3, but Murphy fought to claim the win.

"Anyone that has watched me for any part of my career will know it's not straightforward - I should've had it dead and buried," said Murphy.

"He is a wonderful, beautiful player to watch so I'm absolutely over the moon to get through. Bar Neil Robertson, he was the one everyone wanted to avoid. To get him in the last 32 was as tough a draw as I could've got.

"I've done a bit of soul-searching. I've not won one of the big three for 10 years and I've been searching what it could be - maybe I've just gone a bit nice, a bit soft. Being nice gets you nowhere.

"It's a pit, it's gladiatorial. I've maybe gone out there [in the past] with one arm tied behind my back."