Barry Hawkins has been on the cusp of a sensational season this term without quite picking up silverware, but the 45-year-old still solidified his place in the world's top 16 with relentless consistency levels.
The Englishman suffered two heartbreaking final defeats in the campaign. He was beaten 10-8 by Judd Trump in the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final and fell short 10-9 against Kyren Wilson in the Machineseeker German Masters final.
Hawkins is now setting off for a long haul two tournament stint, first at the World Open in Yushan and then the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. He's determined to keep up his consistency and perhaps go one step further.
We caught up with Hawkins ahead of his trip to China...
Barry, first of all how much are you looking forward to the upcoming World Open, where you will go up against Jamie Jones in the opening round?
“I’ve seen the city of Yushan improve every year we go there. I can see there are more things to do there and it is a very clean city, like most of China. The venue is fantastic. I’m not the biggest fan of sitting on a plane for ten hours, but when I get there I always enjoy playing in China. The fans are amazing. The last time we were in Yushan there were many more fans and I know the venue is purpose built for snooker. I think it is really good as a spectator to watch snooker there."
What will be your plans for moving onwards to Hong Kong if you don't go all the way in Yushan?
“I spend a lot of time on the tour with Mark Selby. We’ve agreed that if someone gets beat and the other is still in the competition, we are going to hang about and wait for the other person. I’m hoping we can both win a few matches. I’ve got a tough game but it would be nice to not be the one hanging about! It is always tough to play Jamie. He has a lot of experience and isn’t afraid to play anybody. It is going to be difficult, that is for sure."
How do you pass the time between matches when you are travelling?
“I’ve been into my fitness in the last few years. It helps me relax and puts me into a calmer state. I’ve noticed that if I don’t do anything I can feel sluggish. When I’m away, I get into the gym and that relieves any stress that I might have. That’s the biggest thing I do when I’m away. Even going out for a walk and listening to a bit of music. I need to do that and make sure I relax."
Was it difficult to get over your final defeat in Berlin at the hands of Kyren Wilson?
“It was tough being so close again and knowing that Kyren missed a few and that I let him off in some frames. I didn’t really get much of a chance in the last frame. It was another great experience to play in the final in front of all those people. I can’t really complain about how the season is going. I’ve been to two finals. I have been three frames away from an unbelievable year. It could have been two trophies. I’ve been really consistent. There are still some big tournaments to come, so I need to keep my head down and keep the good form going."
The season now builds towards the World Championship. It's an event where you've enjoyed success in the past, but have struggled at in recent years. Do you feel your game is in good shape to mount a bid for the title?
“In the last few years I’ve been beaten early on at the Crucible and lost at qualifying. I’ve guaranteed my place there as a seed again and that was my main aim at the start of the season. I’m looking forward to being there again and hopefully I can get back to performing well there. The banana skins coming through qualifying now is ridiculous. It can be tough being a seed as players you are facing are match sharp."