Hawkins claims maiden ranking title

BENDIGO, Australia: England's Barry Hawkins, playing in his first ranking final, beat countryman Peter Ebdon to comfortably win the Australian Goldfields Open in Bendigo on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Hawkins, ranked 23, was in immaculate scoring touch to beat the 20th-ranked Ebdon nine frames to three in the best-of-17 frame final.

Hawkins, who saw off China's Xiao Guodong, Matthew Stevens of Wales and compatriots Matthew Selt and Mark Davis to reach the final, dominated the decider, winning 877 of the total points to Ebdon's 317.

He had a best break of 133.

Red-hot Hawkins led 5-3 at the end of the afternoon session and powered home in the evening winning all four frames to clinch victory.

So dominant was Hawkins that at one stage he reeled off consecutive 106 and 114 breaks to open a 4-1 lead. (AFP)