Semi final 2 Ricky Walden 14-17 Barry Hawkins

Ricky Walden (Eng) 6-2 Barry Hawkins (Eng) end of first session

121-2 (91), 116-0 (105), 17-64, 76-21 (60), 27-90, 127-1 (119), 70-47, 73-16

Ricky Walden opened up a 6-2 lead over Barry Hawkins in the first session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final at the Crucible.

Walden scored a century as he dominated the opening four frames to lead 3-1.

The 30-year-old from Chester made another impressive ton in the fifth frame before 34-year-old Hawkins recovered to take the sixth.

But Walden nicked the next and won the last to go into Friday's second session (14:30 BST) four frames ahead.

The winner will face Ronnie O'Sullivan or Judd Trump in the final.

Willie Thorne Snooker analyst, BBC Sport

"6-2 is a fair reflection of the unfortunate way that Barry has played. He will play better when he gets his mind together, but that is just about the best he could have got out of this session. Ricky has scored very heavily, but when he has not been in the balls, he has struggled too."

Both Walden and Hawkins have come through a tough bottom half of the draw which included world number one Mark Selby, 2010 champion Neil Robertson and China's number one Ding Junhui.

Despite making their debuts in the final four at Sheffield, both Walden - who won the Wuxi Classic - and Hawkins - who was victorious at the Australian Open - have experience of competing in the latter stages of a ranking event.

But it was Walden who settled quickest, showing his speed while in amongst the balls, stroking in quick-fire breaks of 91, 105 and 60 as he raced into a two-frame lead at the mid-session interval.

World number 14 Hawkins, meanwhile, seemed to be overawed by the occasion as he missed several chances.

Walden - who defeated O'Sullivan in the final of the Shanghai Masters in 2008 - struck a 119 clearance and took the eighth to wrap up a highly satisfactory opening session's work.



Ricky Walden (Eng) 9-7 Barry Hawkins (Eng) 3-5 session score

Session 2: Afternoon welcome to the 2nd session of this semi

Frame 9: Barry has started well in this frame stalls on 23, back in though, 26 this time, 8 points in it now, red & all colours, brown to black left, Barry looks favourite, and he takes it 6-3 Walden.

Frame 10: 29 then misses easy red does Barry, frame has turned scrappy, but he wins it 6-4.

Frame 11: Scrappy 32-7 to Barry reds on bottom cushion, Ricky amongst the balls, black needed for the frame for Ricky gets it 7-4.

Frame 12: Hawkins 52-0 up in this frame, 28 points back for Ricky probably the scrappiest session of the tournament for me, Barry wins it 7-5.

Frame 13: Much better from Ricky a frame winning break 106 8-5 Walden.

Frame 14: 40-25 Hawkins fouls being given away a lot at the moment, a nice 30 from Barry 8-6.

Frame 15: 47 Barry's highest break of the match 1 behind now 8-7.

Frame 16: Opening break of 13 from Barry, Ricky in now, he takes the frame leads 9-7 they're back in the morning at 1000.

Ricky Walden leads Barry Hawkins 9-7 after two sessions of their World Championship semi-final in Sheffield.

Resuming at 6-2 down, Hawkins won three of the first four frames without a break of any significance to trail 7-5.

Walden won the next with a break of 106 but Hawkins took the next two to close to within one before a break of 53 saw Walden restore his two-frame lead.

The pair resume at 10:00 BST on Saturday with the winner facing Ronnie O'Sullivan or Judd Trump in the final.

Both Walden and Hawkins have come through a tough bottom half of the draw which included world number one Mark Selby, 2010 champion Neil Robertson and China's number one Ding Junhui.

Despite making their first appearances in the semi-finals at the Crucible, Walden - who won the Wuxi Classic - and Hawkins - who was victorious at the Australian Open have experience of competing in the latter stages of a ranking event.

However both players have been inconsistent during the opening 16 frames despite world number 13 Walden compiling two century breaks on Thursday evening to open a four-frame advantage.

Hawkins, 34, has appeared nervous throughout, prompting BBC pundit and 1991 champion John Parrott to state that the world number 14 looked like he was already "running on empty, mentally".

However, the man from Kent managed to nick three of the first four frames in Friday afternoon's session, despite making a highest break of just 36, to reduce the deficit.

Walden, who defeated O'Sullivan in the final of the Shanghai Masters in 2008, regained some confidence after the mid-session interval, compiling a 106 to lead 8-5.

But Hawkins knocked in a 47, which was cheered by the crowd, as he pegged back two more frames, before Walden replied with a half-century in the last to keep him in front.


Ricky Walden (Eng) 12-12 Barry Hawkins (Eng) 3-5 session score

Morning all the final Saturday of the tournament 3rd session of this one

Frame 17: Walden 11 points ahead at the moment reds in bottom half of the table, Hawkins had a half chance missed black to keep break going, Walden back in now, and he goes on to win the frame 10-7.

Frame 18: 62 break from Hawkins much better but Ricky on a charge to steal this frame, 63 break to steal it! 11-7.

Frame 19: Great response from Barry a century 114 brilliant 11-8.

Frame 20: Break of 78 from Ricky 12-8 mid session interval.

Frame 21: 104 from Barry 2nd in the session 12-9

Frame 22: 53-63, Hawkins gets one back 12-10

Frame 23: 16-55 Within one now at 12-11. 3 frames in a row.

Frame 24: A 66 break we are level 12-12 what a comeback!

Barry Hawkins reeled off four frames in a row to move level at 12-12 with Ricky Walden in their World Championship semi-final in Sheffield.

Walden was 9-7 ahead after two sessions of their match but the Saturday morning session belonged to Hawkins.

The world number 14 trailed 12-8 at one stage but had the second of his two century breaks in the session to cut the gap to three frames.

He then dug deep to level it ahead of Saturday evening's final session.

The winner will face Ronnie O'Sullivan or Judd Trump in the final.

Hawkins made a break of 114 in frame 19 before returning from the interval to fire a 104 two frames later.

A gruelling 56-minute frame went the way of the 34-year-old from Kent as he pinched it by driving in a long pink and adding a simple black.

And after narrowing Walden's lead to a single frame, Hawkins swept to a break of 66 to end the session with the match in stalemate.





Ricky Walden 14-17 Barry Hawkins 2-5 session score

Frame 25: 66-73* (Walden 50, Hawkins 66), 66 from Hawkins he takes his 5th frame in a row to lead 13-12

Frame 26: 56-73 (Walden 56), A 56 from Ricky not enough to win the frame 14-12.

Frame 27: 30-79 (60) 60 break from Barry 15-12

Frame 28: 29-98 (79) 79 from Barry one away from the final 16-12.

Frame 29: 86-1 Dominant in this frame Walden takes it 16-13.

Frame 30: 63-9 One more back 16-14

Frame 31: 11-64 Barry Hawkins will play Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-14.

Barry Hawkins recovered to beat Ricky Walden 17-14 in his World Championship semi-final and set up a final against Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Crucible.

Hawkins, the world number 14, was 12-8 down at one stage but won nine of the last 11 frames, including a run of eight in a row, to prevail.

Before this year, the Englishman had never gone beyond the second round.

And he will be a huge underdog against defending champion O'Sullivan, who has not been beaten in four finals.

O'Sullivan leads Hawkins 4-1 in head-to-heads and if Hawkins does manage to cause an upset it would rank alongside Joe Johnson's 1986 world final win over Steve Davis in his prime as the biggest in the tournament's history.

Stephen Hendry Seven-time World champion and BBC Sport pundit

"What chance does [O'Sullivan's opponent] have? None. I'm frightened the final will be a procession.
"We all know how good a front-runner Ronnie is, he just keeps pounding and pounding and pounding and over a two-day match, it's tough.
"I've had a good hiding from him before, and once he gets in front it's almost impossible to peg him back. He hasn't been behind in any match in this tournament and I can't see that changing."

"I can't believe it - I am in bits," said Hawkins, who won this season's Australian Open and was also a semi-finalist at the German Masters.

"The way I started off in this match, I lost my way completely. My cueing went and I just did not settle. I kept digging deep and I kept fighting. Things started turning around and I found my game.

"I've got nothing to lose now. I'm just going to go out and enjoy it and see what happens."

Beaten semi-finalist Walden added: "Barry started to play better towards the end of the match. He deserved to win in the end.

"I'll look back and take the positives but just now it's a bit sore.

"If Barry gets off to a good start in the final he can definitely keep Ronnie at bay."

Walden, the world number 13, led his compatriot 6-2 after the first session, when Hawkins was so out of sorts he received an ironic cheer on passing 40 for the first time.

But having gone 12-8 down in the second session, the 34-year-old from Kent proceeded to turn the match on its head.

The left-hander cut the gap to three courtesy of a break of 104 before nicking a gruelling 56-minute frame to make it 12-10.

Hawkins, who has been working with former world champion and mental guru Terry Griffiths, also ground out the next before making a break of 66 to draw level heading into the final session.

He then won the first frame of the evening session on a re-spotted black, added the next despite a break of 56 from Chester's Walden, and a 60 in the 28th frame left him one frame from the final, before Walden found some form to win the next two racks and reduce the deficit to two frames.

But at 16-14, Walden was in the balls when a terrible piece of luck saw him knock in a red having potted the blue, allowing Hawkins to finish off the match.