European Masters 2022 snooker LIVE – Kyren Wilson one frame away as he builds commanding lead against Barry Hawkins

Which means we're done here. Thanks all for your company over the last week and see you again soon. Ta-ra.

He thanks the crowd, saying they've always had great crowds in a great venue, and they missed that during the pandemic. Having won in Germany before, he's told he's a "German boy" and needs a German passport, then says that last time, his son Finlay was with him, and the Lego man is his. He arrived feeling a bit down, but his dad and mate came to join him and his brother "like Del Boy and Rodney on tour," and they've had a great few days.

He says he's disappointed and the way the match went it could've been 9-3 to him, but he had "a terrible day", playing reds that didn't even go. He likes playing in Germany, where the crowd give the players great support, and asked of he'll return next year, says the way he's feeling now, he doesn't want to play snooker ever again, but should calm down in the next five or 10 minutes. He finishes by congratulating Kyren, a worthy winner.

That's his fifth ranking title, he shows his family a Lego figure, holding it in front of the camera, and looks pretty happy with life.

Oh yes! Kyren thuds home a red to left corner, the kind of shot a snooker obsessive like him wants to play when clinching a trophy. He gets the position he's after, eases onto the colours, and this is done. Baz, for his part, will be wondering where his form when overnight - he's made nine tons in this tournament - while Kyren will take the momentum into the rest of the season, and, he'll hope a first major. He's good enough.

But then he misses a black off its spot, as he's done the whole match, and again this could be that. But though he disturbs two reds on the side, he winds up on neither, so plays safe, and this is now yet another scrappy one.

Oh this game! Kyren misses a simple pink to left corner, hanging head in shame and leaving Barry the chance to force us into the final mini-sesh!

Kyren gets in first and might this be it? He digs into the pack off the blue, the split goes nicely, and he's got one hand on the trophy!

Barry needs six on the spin, and he's playing nowhere near well enough to make that happen. Kyren needs one more frame for his fifth ranking title.

... but he misses the colour, the finds himself snookered behind the self-same ball, red down in baulkk next to the black; he misses and leaves a free ball! But after some deliberation, Bazza sticks him back in, then they spend time working out where the white was, and he hits it handily. I wonder if he's regretting not taking the free ball now, all the more so when he leaves a pot on! Kyren duly james it to the green pocket, and the yellow follows, and this feels very over.

This is good from Kyren, easing a red off the side then sending it long to the green pocked from right behind. A pink follows, and one more red-pink will be enough for the frame...

AND NOW IT'S BARRY'S TURN! He takes a starter, then misses a simple black to left-middle as the crowd groan as one - they want more snnok - and how is this the same man who was so brlliant last evening? He just cannot afford to botch opportunities like that, but will take some succour in the fact that the remaining reds are far fro easy.

But he's not thinking hs way through his breaks as well as he can and soon runs out of position. Then, after a protracted safety exchange, Barry leaves a long one to right corner ... and Kyren shamsehs it home! Only to miss the black! That is some oversight - credit to him for looking to increase his lead, not nurse it, but I'm really surprised he's not stll at the table.

Kyren tries to glide a red to right corner, missing by a fraction but leaving nothing ...then again, except this time there's an easy starter to right corner. Barry takes it, but doesn't get through the white properly, catching it a bit thick, so a recovery pot, blue shoved long to yellow pocket, is taken ... and it's drained very nicely indeed!

Very quickly, the white ends up in the pack, and a re-rack is quickly called.

Barry clears to brown, just about, and he's got one back.

Kyren misses a red, Barry sinks it, and this is a decent chance for him to snaffle the frame.

What?! Focusing on position, Kyren jawses a pink along the rail to right corner, and leaves one. But with two reds stuck together near the side, there's work for Bazza to do, and he'll try and break them off the pink ... except he imsses the pot and also misses the cannon, now a massive relief.

Oh yes! Barry leaves one over left corner, but Kyren is marrooned up in baulk. So he plays a swerve off the side cushion and drains it! He finishes on nowt, though, so it's another safety. For all it matters, Bazza whacking an unlikely pot, missing, and leaving red over right-middle; Kyren sees it away, and should rack up a decend lead at this visit.

Barry nails a colossal opening red that gets him onto the yellow, but breaking the pack off the blue, he can't get the power he needs ... so he's forced to nails a red to left- middle! That's a fine recovery pot, but he's chasing now, and eventually has to play safe and back to baulk.

Yup, Kyren drains it confidently, elminates blue, pink and black, and he needs just two more for the trophy; Barry needs another seven.

The tester is the green along the bottom cushion and Kyren gets onto it nicely ... but jawses the pot! And, with the other balls on their spots, Barry has a chance to snooker - but he cannnot. Instead, he leaves a clip from centre to right corner as a shot to nothing, Kyren ust about gets it home off the near knuckle. and he's just about OK on the brown.

A decent safety from Kyren,missing the snooker behind the green he was after but leaving both reds safe, forces Barry to take on a long pot, and when he misses, he leaves one to right corner. Down it goes, the blue follows, and this should be 7-2

Barry runs out of position on 64, recording the highest run of the match, but with two reds left this is anyone's frame. Well, not anyone's Bazza's or Kyren's, but you know what I mean.

Excellent from Barry, easing his way into the lead. Bt there are still four reds left, they're not easy, and he'll need them all.

Nope, a blue means no maxi. But he's going well ... until he misses a red to left-middle! Chance for Bazza, though the remimaing reds - there are plenty - aren't in perfect positions.

Bazza knows he's got to go for it, so rams a red to red corner, which does its best to go in before shooting out the jaws and cannoning another, which stays over the pocket. Great chance for Kyren, with black available to both corners. I don't like to say it, but I'm saying it...

Kyren has changed his walk-out music, which is deeply disappointing, binning Darude's Sandstorm for elton John and Dua Lipa's Cold Heart. Bah. I'm playing Sandstorm in my yard anyway, problem being I'm now off out to the klurb. Sorry!

Kyren will be hoping for an in-and-out job; Baz will be set for a longun.

It's a long way back for Bazza, but he's got the game - if he hits the level he showed in last evening's semi-final pummelling of Mark J Williams, we're in for a treat.

We will be back at 7pm BST with the conclusion to this final. Let us hope it improves tonight as these two players are certainly capable of higher levels. Thanks for joining us this afternoon.

No recovery from Hawkins and it will be 6-2 to Wilson after first session. Needs three more frames tonight for victory and the European Masters title. Hawkins will need seven more. Long shot it must be said on current form.

Creeping towards the winning line in the frame. Plays a delightful shot on yellow to crack open the reds, but doesn't land on much. Bit unfortunate so just the safety shot coming up. Highest break of the final is a relatively modest 56.

Fine long red from Wilson with drag and this is chance to build a lead in frame he needs for a four-frame lead heading for tonight. Hawkins seems to have gone off the boil again.

Not overly convincing, but finally over the line in the seventh frame. A 5-2 lead for Wilson. One more frame of the session. Which you would imagine is vital for Hawkins' future health in this final.

Average frame time of 23 minutes tells you how much of a battle this has been. Hawkins chasing two snookers on final red.

Pink and black out of commission, but Wilson producing some fine break-building around the smaller colours. Looking good suddenly for a 5-2 advantage. One more frame after this one of the session.

Real turgid fare going on out there. Hawkins couldn't miss against Williams last night, but is all over the place in this final. Lacking any kind of consistency.

Wilson with a cracking long red at outset of the seventh frame. Can he finally get himself motoring here.

Wilson ties up the loose ends of this sixth frame to ensure he is going to lead 4-2. Fair to say, this has been a difficult match so far for both men attempting to find prime form. Two more frames of the session.

52 the difference with just 51 left up. Hawkins still chasing a snooker.

Wilson looks good for the kill at this visit. Frustrating times for him, but he will feel better about a 4-2 lead when it could easily have been 3-3. Like Hawkins, has been far from near his best today so far, but in goes the blue and Barry needs a snooker. A run of 42, his highest break of match so far.

Hawkins can't take advantage of the Wilson blunder. Chances coming and going. Hawkins this time missing a red to a centre pocket.

Wilson's highest break of final is only 40, but has chance to assert himself here. Opens up the pack of reds and under normal circumstances this would be a decent chance to gain a notable lead in the frame. Lovely shot on red to yellow pocket to keep break moving along, but he misses a black off the spot. That is a bad miss. Crowd can't believe it.

Cracking long red from Hawkins, who seems to have found his focus in this final. Wilson will be wary of these happenings.

How quickly the story of a snooker match changes. Wilson looked to be nailed on for a 4-0 lead, but only 3-2 clear with three frames of the first session to play. No guarantee of a lead yet before this evening's second session. Breaks of 51 and 55 for Hawkins. Much more like it.

Hawkins declares on 51. His best break of the final, but still not yet over the line as he bids to close to 3-2 behind. Wilson then misses a miss on red using rest by some distance. That is set to cost him the frame. Hawkins should be back to 3-2 behind.

Hawkins very mindful of his business out there. Studying these balls with some intensity. Certainly not looking as forlorn as he was at 3-0 behind. Break reaches 32.

Error by Wilson after a safety blunder by Hawkins. Easy pink to a middle bag, but he jaws the ball and Hawkins handed chance to compile a few points. Bad miss from the Kettering man.

Huge four frames coming up in this final. Hawkins will be relieved to get himself back to 3-1 down after a fairly forgettable start to this match. Table seems to be playing quite slow today.

A huge clearance by Hawkins in the context of this final. He trails 3-1. Looked for all the world like 4-0, but 3-1 is a real result for Hawkins at the mid-session interval.

Golden pot on final red by Hawkins. Just needs the colours now to register first frame of the final.

Hawkins back in the hunt as he cuts the lead to 20 points with red and colours left up. Still a fairly turgid battle this one.

Hawkins forced to sit and suffer as Wilson moves to the cusp of a 4-0 advantage. Out of position holding a 54-0 lead with 67 points left up. Hawkins has been in every frame so far, but yet to make a memorable break.

Hawkins has not done himself justice today. Wilson yet to catch fire, but could be moving 4-0 clear at the break. Nice opening red from Kyren and has chance to get himself moving forwards again.

Hawkins out of position on final red. Can't produce a telling safety and Wilson cracks home the mid-range red. Slots the frame-ball green seconds later he needs with extended rest before in goes the brown, blue and pink. A 3-0 lead for Wilson in this final. One more frame before the mid-session break. Wilson probably sensing the chance of a big lead this afternoon.

A lead of 29 points for Wilson with four reds still on the baize. Can Hawkins mount a recovery? Slams in a long red with top spin.

Wilson quickly up to 37 as he chases a 3-0 lead in this final, but again out of position on the black after slotting mid-range red. All very frustrating with the scrappy nature of the final continuing to muffle the possibilities.

Two more frames before the mid-session interval. Vital that Hawkins wins at least one of them you would suggest. Another black fails to drop. Just not happening so far for the 2013 world finalist.

Hawkins is playing a fair degree below his best in this final even if Wilson is hardly sparkling at the moment. Makes a mess of a safety attempt and Wilson rolls in black for a 2-0 lead. Concerning times for the man from Ditton.

Well, quite dramatic goings on out there as Hawkins forces the re-spotted black in this second frame. Lovely long black by Hawkins to ensure he makes the re-spot.

A lead of 31 for Wilson with 27 points left on table. Hawkins chasing one snooker and he gets it as Wilson butchers the swerve shot to hit brown. 27 in it with 27 left up. Chance of a re-spotted black.

Wilson not exactly in vintage form out there, but is looking the likelier figure. A lead of 25 points with one red left up. Hawkins hasn't turned up so far today.

This second frame littered with misses as Wilson sees a red creep out heading for the middle. Neither player in control of that cue ball. First man to settle could cash in here.

A bit of nervous tension continues to swirl around the air as Hawkins slots a long red. A quite magical pot by 'The Hawk'.

Hawkins has seen enough of this opening frame. A 1-0 lead for the world No. 8 Wilson.

Brilliant red and brown from Wilson to move 43 points clear with 43 left before another long red puts the seal surely on this first frame.

Hawkins still alive in this first frame, but only three red balls on the table.

Miss on a tricky mid-range red. Just didn't have complete control of that cue ball and pays the price. 46 clear, but still 59 left up.

Crowd are already entranced by this contest in the opening frame. Wilson inching onwards here. Working hard to control that cue ball.

Hawkins slotted a few juicy plants against Williams last night, but misses a fairly routine one there. Leaves red over hole for Wilson to return to table.

Well, a few unexpected errors early on with Wilson missing a tricky pot on black. Both men settling down.

Fine long red by Hawkins to get his afternoon started. Starting where he left off against Mark Williams last night, but breaks down early on to hand Wilson the initiative.

Hawkins gets the match off and running. Packed crowd again in Furth turning up for this final.

Eight frames this afternoon and a possible nine tonight to decide the destination of the second ranking event of the campaign. Nothing between them in career meetings with Hawkins leading Wilson 8-7 outside of their Championship League duels. Wilson won their previous meeting 13-10 in the last 16 of last year's World Championship.

They first met 12 years ago with Hawkins running out a 4-0 winner in a minor ranking event.

It all comes down to this: Barry Hawkins against Kyren Wilson for the European Masters title.

The opening session gets going at 1pm UK time, with a further evening session to decide the winner from 7pm.

Wilson will challenge for a fifth career ranking title as he reached the final. The Englishman was ahead for much of the match but allowed Ali Carter back into it as The Captain recovered to go 5-4 clear.

However, Wilson held his nerves and took the final two frames for victory.

Hawkins, meanwhile, pulled off a brilliant finish to his semi-final in Furth, Germany on Saturday evening.

The world No. 12 was up against Welsh former No.1, Mark Williams, and he hit big scores in the closing three frames. Two half-centuries and a century break set up a final against Kyren Wilson on Sunday at the Stadthalle Furth.

This was how that match - and Williams' run at the tournament - ended...

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