European Masters snooker 2023 as it happened - Barry Hawkins holds off Judd Trump to triumph

Congratulations to Barry Hawkins, who ended a six and a half year drought by becoming the worthy winner of the European Masters. Commiserations Judd, who took the argument as far as he could but could never haul in Barry at any point in this final.

Thanks to you for your company this week, we'll be back with more from the World Snooker Tour soon. Guten nacht.

Judd pays tribute and tells Barry and his family to enjoy it. Then here comes Barry; he's beaming, and says he thought he might never win a ranking event again. Barry's slipped to 19 in the world rankings, but what a start to 2023/24, this will send him back up to where his talent belongs. The crowd give him a thundering ovation, as he calmly sips a glass of water. He then gets the fat cheque and the trophy, raising the latter high in the air to get everyone in the arena whooping.

He led all day, and he saw it through. It's been a long time since Barry won the 2017 World Grand Prix, and in snagging this title he's won the fourth ranking event title of a fine career. To do it, he's beaten the world champion Luca Brecel and two modern greats in Mark Selby and Judd Trump. This might be the sweetest victory of all, but he'll be on the mic to tell us all about it shortly.

There'll be tears tonight, in multiple locations; you won't see a more popular win than this. Barry tags in the final red, then a few more, and he's the European Masters champion! What a moment for one of the class acts in the game!

He's surely done it! Red and black go, the latter frame ball, and then he cuts in the penultimate red to boot, followed by the brown. Judd returns, 50 behind with 35 on, but this is beyond him I'm certain.

A poor safety from Barry leaves Judd a slightly off-straight red to the bottom right from distance. Judd commits to it, but the red rattles out; he'd tried to hold for the black, and he's served up a title-winning chance for Barry as a result. He's added 20 so far; with two free reds in the wide open he won't get a better look than this...

Judd's had a shocker here, stunning a red into the bottom left to try and split a cluster of reds thereafter. He ends up welded to them, and can only play safe to baulk. There are six reds left out there, and whoever gets the better of the upcoming safety exchange will be a huge favourite for the frame.

Barry goes into the pack off the black, only freeing a couple again and this time leaving a tough red as a stab up to the yellow pocket. It's a big shot, and it rattles in the jaws and stays there. That's a huge slice for Judd, who comes back to the table to start stitching together a break of his own. He's under some pressure here, because any missed pot could be his last.

Carpe diem, as they say. Judd breaks, and Barry floats a red long into the left middle before pulling up the white on the blue. It's a confident shot, but there's not much on as yet. Barry goes to 16 by smashing in the yellow and going into the pack off one cushion, but it only frees a couple and he's on a short jab to the bottom right. That leaves a long-ish blue to keep the break shifting, and he buries it into the yellow pocket. It's a great knock so far, and if he can open the pack for real shortly he could be in business.

An excellent deep screw on the black, off one cushion to land on a red to left middle, keeps Barry trucking. His break reaches 40 with a black to bottom left, and he's straight on frame ball red to the bottom right. That's dispatched, followed by the pink, and that should be enough. Judd needs two snookers to tie, and isn't interested. Barry is one from the title, Judd now needs three in a row.

It's end of break on 22, as Barry goes into the pack and lands on nish. His scoring hasn't quite been there today, not in the way it held up yesterday against an in-form Mark Selby; had it done so, he'd probably be home and hosed by now. Judd's not quite at it either though, and when he misses a mid-range red to bottom left he hands another chance to Barry. 'He's got to steady the ship here,' says the great Angles McManus in co-comms, as a red is followed by a deft cut back on a black to bottom left. Barry is back in control of the frame.

Barry will need to get the last two frames out of his system quickly. He still has the lead, and at the start of frame 14 gets a chance when Judd misses a deadweight red to the bottom right. It leaves Barry a long red to the yellow pocket and he drives it in, but can't send the white round the angles after potting the blue, with the green impeding the white. Here's a chance though, as Judd misses a shot to nothing and cracks the white full ball into the blue. Barry's in, and rides his luck from red to blue and then blue to red, but he's around the black spot now with a chance to get something going.

Judd's nicked it! He glances in the brown thin to the yellow pocket with the rest, followed by frame ball blue. Barry plays on for a bit, trying for the snooker on the pink, but Judd eventually picks it off and he's won three frames in a row now.

What a twist! Judd plays the yellow so badly that he only leaves himself a thin thrash at the green, sending the white around the table. The pot is butchered, but the green runs safe; Barry's still in this with five balls left. A few shots later, Judd leaves Barry a cut on green to bottom left...and it's in! Can Barry convert brown to right middle now and set up the steal? No! It's bounced off the bottom jaw and out. Crikey!

Judd does get the black in, but can't find the angle he needs on the red and plays a snooker. Barry escapes, but he's left the red along the rail to the bottom left. Judd takes it on...and it's in and he's on the black. That disappears too and he's up for the colours to see this one through.

This will bruise if Judd can mop these up. It won't be straightforward, with three reds near cushions, but it's on. The break reaches 36, but Judd lands awkward on the third to last red and can't cut it across the table and into the bottom left. He's not left anything though, and gets back in with a long red a few shots later. A brilliant green to left middle follows, as does a red along the rail into the bottom right. Can he get on the final red on the left rail from the black?

Barry has a bit of bother when he lands straight on the blue, but survives both my alliteration and the positional awkwardness by calmly dispatching a mid-range red after potting the blue, and he's back in position once more. More evidence that he's tensed up a little soon follows though, as he rolls a red out off the lip of the left middle, and Judd can counter.

We're back, for anything between 2-5 frames. Judd misses a bash at a long red to start frame 13, before Barry thin snicks a cut on a red but lands on nothing. He's in for real now though; a stunner of a red into the bottom left sees him hold for the black, and with the reds scattered and most of them open, this is an inviting table. Within no time at all, his break is up to 31. Last night he produced to sterling breaks to pull away from Mark Selby and reach the line; if he can hold it together here, he'll be one away from the title.

Wow, what a twitchy end to that one. A quick 14 from Judd puts it to bed, and it's as you were at the interval; Barry leads Judd by two.

We'll be back in 15.

I think Judd's just decide to go for it from here. He clatters in a long red, holding for the black, and it looks for all the world like he'll take the frame from here. Drama follows from his next red though. It's a routine pot to right middle, and it loops out of the pocket and sits up as a tap-in for Barry! Crikey, that could be a twist. But what's happened here? After red-blue, and with a potential frame-winning clearance incoming, Barry underhits a red to bottom left with the spider and it doesn't reach! He's smiling, but he'll be furious with himself there; Judd should do the necessary from here.

What a shot this is from Judd! After finishing low on the black, the natural angle is to go in and out of baulk off three cushions and come back down; instead, he deep screws it off the top cushion, and sails back to the bunch to drop calmly on a red to bottom right. Don't the crowd love that! It goes wrong soon after though as he loses position again, this time on a red, and can only play back to baulk.

We're into a biggie here, the last frame before the interval. Barry gets a look at a tough little cut back on a red to bottom right from distance. He misses it by a long way, and when the balls settle Judd is on a red to the yellow pocket. He starts stitching a break together, and booms the pack open off the black to reach 21. He's on a red, and this is developing into a decent chance.

Just like that, we're done. Judd gets a glimmer at red to bottom left and drains it, followed by a few more balls. The deficit is reduced to three.

Barry goes in-off, so it's back to two snookers required. He finds a peach, white in behind black with the red surrounded by colours in baulk, and Judd misses it to send the four points straight back. This might prove a useful stanza for Barry even if he doesn't win this frame; it's keeping Judd cold and not gathering momentum.

Barry gets a red-black combo down, and if he can secure another the balls are well placed to look for snookers off the final red. Sure enough, the chance comes along; Barry pots a red and black once more, and welds the cue ball to the black after sending the last red up the table. Judd plays a one cushion escape, and he's missed it. Barry looks to pot red-black again before seeking his other snooker with the yellow, but he can't pot the first ball in that plan.

After a brief safety exchange, Judd fires in a red as a shot to nothing and then tucks Barry in behind the yellow. Barry duly escapes, but he's left a red and the frame on. Twelve points later, Barry returns to the table needing two snookers.

This is granite stuff from Judd, as he clears the black spot area of reds and continues to score heavily. The half-ton is secured with the blue, and he just about lands on a red to bottom left to keep going. Here's a reprieve for Barry though; Judd overcuts the pot, and it's end of break.

A good safety from Barry in frame 11 forces Judd into a long red to bottom left. It's so close, but it coughs out; the red almost drifts into the bottom right, but hangs in the jaws. What a chance for Barry, who picks it off cushion first and lands somewhat luckily on the blue. Just as you're thinking this is a big chance for 8-3, he misses a routine green to its own pocket and Judd has a hand on table chance to fire back here. It's three reds and blacks so far.

Judd slices a red into the bottom right, but no more; a few shots later, he leaves Barry a gun barrel straight red to bottom right; if this disappears it's a natural hold for the black, and disappear it does. That should be the frame and soon is, as Barry tidies up a few red-blacks to traverse the winning line. He adds 40 in total, and his lead extends to four frames. Judd is in increasing bother; he's pulled off two comebacks already in Nuremberg, he's going to need another Homeric effort tonight.

Barry goes into the pack, off the black and the bottom cushion; the split is good, but leaves him only a long red to the green pocket. It's a huge juncture in frame and match; if he can convert this, the frame is laid out invitingly for him to win and extend his lead further. Barry puts the red right in the heart of the pocket, and soon sails over the half-century mark in the break. Hello though, what's this, he's lost the white, skidding off a red when screwing back and landing stranded in baulk. What a missed opportunity; Barry puts the yellow safe, but with seven reds out in the wide open this is still anyone's frame.

More bother here for Judd, as he has a look at a long red to the bottom right after Barry's break-off, but he butchers the pot and leaves Barry a gimme to bottom left. It's a chance, and soon becomes a good chance when Barry stuns a red into the bottom left and bounces off the pack to stay on the black. Reds have released as a result, and a good red to right middle soon after keeps him on the black.

This is getting even more tense; Judd stuns the pink into the bottom right, but can't shift the black away from the lower left rail. It's all square in the frame, and we're in for some finish...or so we think. Judd tries to play a safety but sends the white into the green pocket; it's seven and the frame to Barry! I thought we were set for a 1985 style scramble on the black there, what an underwhelming end to the frame. It's a big one for Barry to claim though, however it happened; he leads by three for the first time today.

Judd escapes, but leaves a red on to the bottom right. Barry picks it off, and makes a quick 34 from the reds in play. The final red is on the left rail, and he tries to drop in behind it from the blue. He gets the angle, but bridging over the black is awkward; Barry turns it down, and plays safe instead. He's in control of the frame now, even more so when Judd leaves the red on mid-range to the green pocket. It's surely the frame if it goes in...but Barry can't convert it and leaves it for Judd. The red disappears, followed by the green, and it's colours to win for Judd. In good news for Barry, the black is safe for now.

Judd misses a pink, heavy to the bottom right, and it's abruptly end of break. Barry can only reply with nine, and we could be in for a long one here with seven of the eight remaining reds near the bottom cushion. It starts to open up a little after a few safety shots, and Barry clips in a long red followed by a LOL fluke when he sends the pink in while trying to play a containing safety. Some time later Barry drains another red, and tucks Judd in tight behind the green in baulk. This is a brutal snooker, and Judd will do well to get it safe. He doesn't, ceding four points, and then returns to find himself in an even more fiendish snooker behind the black.

A long bout of safety opens frame nine, with Barry giving away four after missing a thin one. It's tense, and Barry makes the first mistake, going to close to the jaws of the bottom right and failing to get the white back up the table. Judd is in, with an easy starter and loads to go at. The points are stacking up, but it's increasingly awkward with the black tied up and lots of reds covering each other.

The players are out, and off we go. We could have nine frames tonight, let's get about sorting this out.

It'll be an important mini-session here, these first four frames could really shape the story of this final. Barry just needs to keep his foot on the pedal, and he'll be wary of Judd's capability of a comeback; in the 2021 German Masters he led Judd 5-1 in their semi-final, only to lose it 605.

We’re approaching the final session of the European Masters final in Nuremberg, with the title and 80 grand on the line tonight. Last years’ runner-up Barry Hawkins holds a 5-3 advantage over the two-time former winner of this event Judd Trump, after pinching a dramatic last frame of the afternoon session. It’s been close throughout, and we could be in for a tense finish tonight.

That's your afternoon session in the books, join us again from 6.45pm for the denouement of an absorbing final.

Well well, what drama there. It was a tight session, with Barry in front all the way through it but looking like being pegged back to all square as Judd went through the gears to get himself back in the match. A break of 60 in the final frame looked to have done most of the work to achieving parity, but a brilliant attacking safety from Barry allied to a nerveless clearance at the finish gives him a two-frame advantage going into the final session tonight.

A yellow to its own pocket is the last difficult shot, and Barry drives it in to hold for the green. From there, Barry mops up the lot to pinch the frame on the black, and gets a hearty round of applause. That was a gutsy clearance, and pinching that could be pivotal to the outcome of this match.

A safety exchange follows, in which Barry flukes a snooker behind the pink. Judd escapes, but he's left a red on as a cut to left middle. Barry drains it, followed by the blue, and then sends the final, safe red around the angles. Judd's following shot is a disaster; he not only pushes the red over the jaws of the bottom left, he goes in-off to boot! Oh my. Barry picks off the red from the D, followed by the blue; it's all colours required for a crucial steal.

Barry plays a belter of an attacking safety, opening the remaining seven reds and trapping Judd behind the brown in baulk. Everything is in play now, and Judd in all sorts with no obvious safety on. The plan? The ol' hit and hope of course, and Judd smashes the white at the area of reds off one cushion. Balls go all over - one running safe, to Judd's relief I'm sure - but Barry is in and can get right back into this. He picks off five of the reds before losing position and tucking Judd in behind the blue. There are two reds remaining near the upper right rail, and we could be in for a tense finish.

What a few shots here from Judd! He rolls a red slow into the yellow pocket, but has hardly any angle on the blue to open the pack. No matter, Judd drives into the bunch off the side rail, forcing the white through and landing on one to the bottom right. He's soon up to a half-ton, but a superb effort curtails on 60 when he can't get the final split he needs on the pack to finish this off. It's back to baulk, and Barry returns with much to do.

A big frame here then, the last of the session this afternoon. Judd opens it with an absolute jazzer, a driven, delayed stun shot to plug a red into the bottom right to drift the cue ball round the back of the black and land perfectly on it. He's flying again here, four reds and blacks so far, and is gathering a serious momentum here. The pack will need a crack to turn this into another one hit frame, but he's playing well enough that he looks capable of anything right now.

Judd gets a two-for-one by potting the 14th and 15th reds in the same shot, on the way to a superb 107 before going in-off after a naughty snooker blast on the pink. That's the 915th ton of an incredible career.

This is superb from Judd, as he goes to 65 with a black to bottom right. As he does so he opens a bunch of four just above it perfectly, a stun/drag shot that holds the white, and this one is as good as over. What a three frames we've had since the interval, it's blink-and-you'll-miss it snooker.

Judd drains a three ball plant at the start of frame seven, before playing off the brown to tuck the white in behind the green. The brown was meant to go into the pack there, an attacking safety to put pressure on Barry, but it clips the blue first and misses the target. Judd rubs his eyes as he sits back in his seat; he seems a little weary today, judging by his body language. This might liven him up - Barry leaves a red hanging over the bottom left, and Judd picks it off to hold for the pink. There's a bit of work to do, but a nicely judged cannon after potting the blue flowers open four reds, and now it's a great chance to score big.

It's computer game stuff here from Barry. A couple of gentle nudges on the cluster below the pink gets everything into play, but he can't convert a difficult red down the rail to make a century. He'll be happy enough with the 90 and the frame though, and whatever happens from here he's ensured parity at least when we return this evening.

He's motoring through this. Barry moves serenely to 62, with 83 left out there. Just a couple more reds here with high value colours will do it, and this is a superb riposte to Judd's fireworks in the last frame.

Back comes Barry, as he strokes in a red long to the bottom left, bounces the white softly off the bottom cushion and lands on the black. This is a great chance, with loose reds all over and the black on to both corners. Within a heartbeat he's up to 30 in this break; if he can relocate his consistent scoring touch that he found against Selby yesterday then he's got a great shot at winning this.

Judd shifts the brown into play when getting on the yellow, a clever shot, and it's routine from here. He clears up to the pink for a brilliant 108.

This one's over. Frame ball black disappears to take the break to 70, and he's moved the remaining reds from the bottom cushion to boot. You'd fancy the ton from here, only the stray brown near the upper right rail could prevent it.

After relocating the black to its spot Judd makes hay off it, with 38 on the board so far and three open reds to go at. There are four clustered below the black, one of which looks like it will go to bottom left, so he can get over the winning line here without disturbing anything if he keeps it to black-red combos.

We're back, and it's am immediate chance for Barry after Judd misses a deadweight red to bottom right, trying to hold for the black. Barry responds with a red to bottom right, pushing the white through other reds as he does so, and this is a decent early look. After opening the pack off the blue Barry thin snicks a red into the bottom left to keep going, but can't convert a tough brown thereafter. Judd fires straight back, with a long-ish red to bottom left, and has a chance himself now.

Barry cleans up to the pink for good measure, and heads into the interval with a two-frame lead. We'll be back in 15 minutes.

Barry seizes control with a cut red right across the table to the bottom left. He soon cleans up the reds in the open, before potting the pink and clipping the final red half-ball to bring it off the rail. That's an excellent shot, and it's on as a cut to the bottom right, and the yellow follows. Up to and including the blue will get him over the line here.

Right we're back. A quick overview - there are four reds left, one safe on the right rail. Judd holds a slight lead in the frame.

We're in sport on the radio mode here, as there are some technical issues that have caused us to lose the live feed. Frustrating, but we'll keep you up to speed on what's happening as best we can. At the moment what we're watching is highlights of the match accompanied by that music you hear in cocktail bars where a mojito costs £15.

In frame four Barry comes so close to dropping a red into the right middle to hold for the blue, but it flies out off the high knuckle. Judd steps in to cut in a red, followed by a superb black to bottom right, and he's away. Position is elusive though - one shot traverses four cushions after the blue goes down to get near the reds again - keep him going, followed by another spectacular blue a few shots later. It's a bit wild and out of control this break, but it ain't stopping...until Judd overcuts a black to bottom right, and serves up a chance for Barry to get right back in this.

A blue to green pocket with the full set of extensions is frame ball, and Judd calmly tucks it in. With two snookers required when the break ends there, Barry stays in his chair. Judd is on the board, and he needed that.

Barry escapes the snooker but goes in-off. With ball in hand from the D, Judd drills in a red to bottom right and lands on the black. A swift break of 23 sets up a shy at the final red on the table, long and all the way up the right rail to the green pocket. It's brutally tough, but he's only gone and nailed it! The black follows and he's surely going to take the frame now.

The first twist of the day? On 38 and cruising, Barry misses black off its spot and he's left Judd right in the reds here. He'll not want to see that shot again, but he gets away with it; Judd can't lasso control of the white and can only respond with 11 before undercutting a red to bottom right. Barry picks off that loose red and adds the brown, but then misses a difficult red to the bottom left to let Judd back in. Judd slashes a red into the same pocket, but can't find position on a colour and tucks Barry behind the blue in baulk. It's gone messy here in frame three.

At the start of frame three Barry goes all out for a red to bottom left after a poor break-off by Judd. It's so close but it doesn't drop into the bottom left, and it's on for Judd. That goes, and so does the green, but Judd doesn't land on a free red either side of the pack and it's end of break. Judd then plays a shocker of a safety; it's attacking, opening up the bunch, but he smacks the white full ball into the blue and he's left Barry an easy starter with a load on afterwards. It looked to me like Judd rushed that safety out of frustration, and he could pay heavily for it. Barry is up to 22 and counting already.

We're done now, as Barry swerves the cue ball around the brown and clips the last red into the bottom left. The brown follows, and it's two up for Barry.

This should be the frame as Barry tags in a red as shot to nothing, and Judd now needs two snookers. For insurance Barry puts the yellow safe, before Judd fires in a long red to get on the black. He'll give this a shy, and picks off four reds and blacks before going for the snookers he needs off the final red. It's a chance, but a poor shot from Judd means Barry can see the object ball clearly.

Barry lands awkward on the pink, forcing him into a blue to the yellow pocket. He nails it, but doesn't screw back far enough to land nicely on a choice of two frame ball reds. Barry tries a cut on one to the bottom left but it misses by a distance; it was played with safety in mind though, and Judd returns to the table 72 behind with 75 on.

Barry booms into the pack off the black, and lands on one to the left middle. That takes him up for the blue, so the maxi is off, but in sinking the blue he reaches a half-century and there's enough in the open here for Barry to bank this frame at this visit.

An excellent break-off from Barry snookers Judd on all reds. Judd tries a two-cushion escape, hoping to rest on a red near the black, but shorts it horribly. That leaves the red on long to the green pocket, and Barry drops it in to hold for the black. Four reds and blacks follow, and this is developing into a decent chance for Barry, who has settled the quicker of the two here.

Barry needs the rest to pot the brown, and screws to the wrong side of the blue; he clips that in, but overshoots position and leaves a thin cut on a pink to bottom right for the frame. No bother, though, as Barry smoothly snicks it in to take the first frame.

Judd gets another red-blue down, but can't shift either of the two reds on the bottom cushion below the black. He has to from his safety that follows though, and he's brought them both out; Barry than cuts one with the rest, clipping it off the other red and into the bottom left! Did he mean that? He's not apologising, so I assume so. He's soon tidied up the other red and gone up for the colours; he needs to clear up to the pink for the frame.

Another long red from Judd flies in, but once again he can't land on a colour and has to go back to baulk. His next red, also to the bottom right, finally does give him a look at the pink thereafter. That goes too, and he's away. Judd picks off 34 from what's in the open, before taking on the last four reds, all of which are near cushions. One is dispatched into the bottom left with the rest, followed by a game attempt to move one of the remaining three off the bottom cushion after potting the blue. Judd misses the connection, and it's end of break.

Judd crashes in the first red of the day, long to the bottom right, but drifts by the baulk colours and can only tuck in behind the green. Safety play follows for a few minutes, before Barry gets in with a red to right middle and he's on the blue. Before long he gets the black back to its natural home, and it's the first scoring chance of the match. A poor positional shot then leaves him with a tricky red to bottom left with the rest, and he's missed it to end his break on 28. Fortunately, he's not left anything.

The Kia Metropol Arena is heaving, and the players walk out to a cracking reception. It's best of 17 then, and we'll have eight frames this afternoon with a break after four.

Barry's had quite a week himself, beating world champion Luca Brecel in the earlier rounds before last night's Homeric tussle with Mark Selby. Two brilliant frame-winning clearances on the spin saw him edge it 6-4, and the self-assuredness with which he took those chances is what he needs to replicate today to finally get his mits on another title.

Judd's had to work hard to get here. In the last 32 he was 4-0 down to Chris Wakelin before rallying to win in a decider, and was then 3-0 in arrears to John Higgins yesterday in his semi-final before rallying to nick another one in a one frame shoot out. Right now Judd isn't quite the title-hoovering machine he was a few years ago, but if he wins today it could be a serious marker for the coming season.

Welcome to live coverage of the final of the European Masters in Nuremberg. We should be in for a cracker today, with Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins will be at the baize shortly for a best of 17 today to sort out the destination of the title and the 80 large first prize.

There are also a couple of itches to scratch. Judd didn't win a ranking event title last season, the first time that's happened since the 2014/15 campaign; Barry meanwhile is after his first ranking event title since 2017, and the fourth of his career. Plenty to play for here then, let's get about it.

Judd Trump reached the final of the European Masters after beating John Higgins, with Barry Hawkins defeating Mark Selby in the other semi-final.

Trump battled back from 3-0 down against Williams to edge a closely contested match 6-5 and book his place in the showpiece match at the KIA Metropol Arena Nuremberg, Germany.

In the second semi, Hawkins got the better of Selby 6-4.

Read the full report here.

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