Judd Trump ended his 13-year wait for a second UK Championship title after shrugging off the dogged challenge of Barry Hawkins in York, insisting it would have been "the worst loss of all time" if he'd been beaten.
Trump was 9-6 up in a race to 10 on Sunday evening, but Hawkins won two in a row to reduce the deficit to a single frame before the world number one pounced on a missed red from his opponent with a 67 break that ultimately proved enough to seal a 10-8 win.
His hard-fought victory marked Trump's first UK crown since 2011 and also the 30th ranking tournament win of his increasingly illustrious career.
Hawkins, who won his semi-final against Mark Allen in the early hours of Sunday morning, looked in danger of being swept away by the world number one during the opening session, but put on a spirited fightback in defeat.
"It was such a hard game. The way Barry battled today considering what happened yesterday was incredible. He made it so hard for me," Trump told the BBC after the match.
"I wasn't enjoying myself in the seat at 9-8. I just wanted to get it over with. I was thinking the worst, it could be the worst loss of all time.
"It's just pure relief."
It was a tough ask for Hawkins, the first-round conqueror of Ronnie O'Sullivan, to return to the arena a mere 12 hours after his gruelling final-frame decider against Allen, and Trump's opening break of 73 sounded an ominous warning.
Hawkins responded with a break of 116 to level matters then a cool 70 clearance to clinch the fourth frame by a point and restore parity at 2-2.
Trump duly stepped up a gear to win the next three frames in succession, including a break of 102 in frame six, and it looked like he had made the decisive move against a wilting Hawkins.
But a missed plant in the eighth frame saw Trump run aground on a break of 51, and once again Hawkins delivered, a brilliant red to the top corner teeing him up for a break of 81 to cut the lead to 5-3.
Trump extended his lead at the start of the evening session with a break of 62, but handed his opponent a lifeline in the 10th frame when he failed to capitalise on a poor missed black - and Hawkins then pulled it back to 6-5 after more sloppy play from the world number one.
However, Trump recovered to lead 7-5 at the mid-session interval only to see his dogged opponent dominate the 13th frame to reduce the deficit again.
A break of 53, followed by a spectacular 133 saw Trump move 9-6 ahead and within one frame of the title - only for Hawkins to fight back with breaks of 75 and 82 to leave the score at 9-8.
A drama-filled 18th frame saw Trump move into a seemingly unassailable 67-20 lead, but a missed red saw Hawkins return to pick up one of the two snookers he needed.
After a lengthy scrap Trump potted a long brown to end the spirited Hawkins resistance and claim the UK Championship for the first time in 13 years.
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