Three Straight Frames Turn the Tide! Lyu Haotian Falls 2-4 to Hawkins and Exits English Open First Round

In the first frame, Lyu Haotian immediately produced a 76 break and defeated Hawkins 76-25 to take control.

As the first round of the English Open began in the early hours, the table situation did not look like a match between world No.60 and world No.10. In the third frame, he added breaks of 63 and won 75-0 to level the match at 2-1, and many spectators felt an upset could be coming.

Hawkins was born in 1979 and turned professional in 1996. He has won five ranking titles and also claimed the Welsh Open in 2026, entering the event as world No.10. At the previous British Open, he was eliminated by Liam Davies 4-2 in the last-64 stage, with only two breaks above 50 in the match. A veteran player may not produce his best every time, but in a best-of-seven format he will not rush into a single-break battle with an opponent. The player who makes the first mistake often loses the rhythm.

Born in 1997, Lyu Haotian's best ranking-event result is a runner-up finish. His performance in the British Open last-32 match showed his ability clearly: after falling 0-2 behind Xiao Guodong, he won four consecutive frames and produced breaks of 113, 85 and 80 to find his rhythm. Therefore, against Hawkins, he was not simply chasing an upset; he had a genuine foundation for sustained scoring.

The second frame became a small turning point. Lyu Haotian lost 61-65, with Hawkins clearing up the remaining loose balls late in the frame to level the match at 1-1. In a best-of-seven match, such a frame is not a collapse, but from that point every comeback attempt requires clean safety play from the start rather than waiting to adjust after gaining a chance at the table.

Lyu Haotian lost the fourth frame 0-94, with Hawkins building the advantage through a 62 break and using safety play to take all opportunities after regaining the table. With no points scored in the frame, the score moved to 2-1. In the fifth frame, Lyu Haotian lost 46-64. Reports indicated he missed a chance that could have secured the frame, allowing Hawkins to produce a 50 break and turn it into a match-point frame. At 3-1 down, Lyu Haotian needed to win two consecutive frames.

In the sixth frame, Lyu Haotian changed his approach, playing two early safety shots and forcing Hawkins to attempt the first long pot. A 60 break brought him back to 2-3 and pushed the match into a decider. Early in the final frame, a safety escape left a thin middle-pocket opportunity for Hawkins. He avoided a difficult angle, first taking a red and then moving into the colours. In the endgame, Hawkins extended the lead beyond ten points with the yellow, green and brown balls. Lyu Haotian's final long attempt to the bottom corner missed, and Hawkins cleared the remaining colours to close out a 4-3 victory.

Overall, Lyu Haotian showed strong attacking ability with two breaks above 60, one frame won without reply, and a performance that forced a deciding frame. The problems came in three moments: the four-point loss in the second frame, the missed winning chance in the fifth, and the safety escape in the decider. One fewer mistake in a seven-frame match could have meant 3-4 or even 4-3; one more hesitation could result in 2-3. The two players previously met over a 19-frame format in the second round of the 2018 World Championship, where Lyu Haotian made two century breaks to level at 10-10 before losing 10-13. Longer formats allow form to stretch over time, while shorter formats reduce the margin for error, meaning the same matchup can produce very different stories.

Other Chinese players in the same round experienced similar situations. Lei Peifan led Ashley Carty 3-2 before losing two straight frames and falling 3-4; Xiao Guodong led 3-1 before Ross Muir fought back to 3-4; Zhao Xintong made two century breaks against Oliver Lines but still lost 2-4. Century breaks prove scoring power, but they do not guarantee winning two extra frames in a best-of-seven match. Small-point management, endgame control and the moment when safety play turns into attack often decide matches more than the break numbers.

After this win, Hawkins will face Liam Davies in the next round. Davies had just defeated Hawkins 4-2 in the previous event, and their rematch will test the veteran's ability to adjust in short formats once again. Lyu Haotian exits in the first round with breaks of 76 and 63, as well as the experience of leading 2-1 and fighting through a deciding frame. Future scheduling and ranking-point changes will depend not on predictions, but on who takes control of the next key moments.