Dott wins a Crucible Classic
Graeme Dott edged out Barry Hawkins 10-8 in a match of the very highest quality at the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship.
Sometimes it's really a shame there has to be a loser and this match was one of those occasions.
From the very first frame, the tone for the barrage of scoring to follow was set by Barry Hawkins who rattled in 82.
During the course of the match there were fifteen breaks over fifty and two centuries, 129 and 105 from Hawkins.
Hawkins edged the opening session 5-4 having made 82, 50, 129 and 67, while Dott weighed in with 71 twice, and 82.
On the resumption they traded frames and big breaks all the way to the line.
Dott made 70 to draw level. Hawkins hits back with 105. Dott countered that with 91, 95 and 69 to lead for the first time at 8-6.
Back came Hawkins with 75 and 84 to bring them level at 8-8.
Not surprisingly the next frame saw a couple of errors, before Dott won it to move ahead at 9-8.
Dott faltered on 24 in the next and Hawkins made 60, but that wasn't enough to clinch the frame. He left Dott in the balls and the Scot pieced together 46 to secure victory.
Graeme Dott needed to win to halt his slide down the rankings. Having broken his arm in China the start of the season was a disaster for him.
A good run at the Crucible could help Dott on the road to recovery. He has at least secured his place in the Top 32 for next season, but will be hoping to get a lot closer to the springboard back to the Top 16.
Dott was delighted with his performance and to have been involved in such a good match.
"I though the match was abolutely fantastic. I've been involved in lots of good matches, but as far as the standard goes, I think that's the best match I've ever played in. It was really high quality stuff.
"I'm in the tough half of the draw, but you have to beat everyone to win here. If I keep playing like that I could win, but the problem is everyone else here can play like that."
Defeat for Hawkins leaves him placed agonisingly at Number Seventeen on the Provisional Ranking List.
