World Snooker Championship: Barry Hawkins beats Matthew Selt

World Championship

World number five Barry Hawkins resisted an impressive fightback to reach the World Championship second round with victory in a final-frame decider against qualifier Matthew Selt.

Selt trailed 7-2 at the Crucible after being outclassed in Sunday's opening session, and fell 9-4 behind on Monday.


The world number 30 made five breaks in excess of 50 to level, but Hawkins edged through 10-9.
World number four Neil Robertson eased past Welshman Jamie Jones 10-2.
The Australian led 7-2 overnight and looked in fine form as he won three successive frames, the first of which saw a brilliant 133 clearance.
Robertson, who won the Crucible title in 2010, faces Ali Crater or Alan McManus in the second round.

John Parrott, former world champion
"Neil Robertson was strutting around almost peacock-like - he knows when he's playing well. He's striking the ball lovely, you know his safety is going to be there and he's a major player in this year's championship, no doubt."

Hawkins goes on to play Mark Allen or Ryan Day after reaching round two in more dramatic circumstances.

"Matt played some great stuff and put me under pressure, but I don't feel like I was squandering chances," Hawkins, 35, told BBC Sport.
"To come through like that is a great feeling and I am delighted. There is nothing worse than when someone is coming back at you like that and they are growing in confidence.
"I was pushed all the way but played some good stuff."
Every frame bar the last of an enthralling, high-quality morning session produced a half-century, with only three of the 19 not including a break over 50.

After Selt's impressive early response to Sunday's trouncing, Kent-based Hawkins, runner-up in 2013, responded with breaks of 79 and 88 to move one frame from victory.
But two more Selt half-centuries and breaks of 102 and 109 made the score 9-8.
A 94 break drew Essex-born Selt level, but he missed an early red in the decider and Hawkins took advantage to seal a nervy win.
"It is pretty much the toss of a coin in a final frame," said Selt. "I played really well to get back in to it.
"Maybe I shouldn't have gone for the red in the final frame but if you are going to go out, then go out all guns blazing. Barry made two good breaks in the final frame.
"Things could have been different but that's snooker. It's such a fine margin between winning and losing."

Monday's other early match saw another tense session - and no little quality - between two Englishmen, with qualifier Robbie Williams taking a 5-4 lead over world number 10 Stuart Bingham.
Chinese star Ding Junhui begins his campaign against Mark Davis in Monday's afternoon session before Bingham and Williams play to a finish in the evening, and Ali Carter starts his first-round match against Scot Alan McManus.