Kettering ace Kyren Wilson holds his nerve to secure German Masters title success in Berlin

Two weeks on from his Johnstone’s Paint Masters final heartbreak at the hands of Shaun Murphy in London, Wilson managed to this time get over the line as he won an epic encounter with fellow Englishman Hawkins at the Tempodrom.

It means reigning world champion Wilson adds the German Masters crown to the Xi'an Grand Prix and BetVictor Northern Ireland Open titles that are already nestled in his trophy cabinet.

But he was certainly made to sweat in a ding-dong final that ebbed and flowed, with both players leading at different times.

Wilson, who trains out of Barratts Club in Northampton, crucially had the edge in the closing frames though, leading 7-6, 8-7 and 9-8, only to be pegged back each time by Hawkins, before the Kettering man clinched the final frame to secure a thrilling 10-9 win.

"I was trying to keep calm, and I felt like my game was still in good shape," Wilson told wst.tv.

"Some of the balls that I missed I had landed a little bit awkward on, and I feel like when your cueing is good and you are happy with your timing then you can put those things behind you and know that when you get your chance you are going to take it.

"It was good for the fans. They have been really treated to some great snooker this week and a 10-9 final is probably what they wished for.

"It is amazing to walk away with the trophy and I'd like to thank everyone for the support."

Wilson, who will defend his world title at Crucible in the spring, admitted that the confidence and belief he has in his game since that momentous victory in Sheffield last May, has stood him in good stead for tight matches like the one against Hawkins.

"The beauty of it all is that when you've proved to yourself that you can win the biggest event of them all, then it gives you confidence," said Wilson.

"If you can't use being world champion as confidence, then what's the point in winning it? I'm using it to my advantage. I feel like I'm riding the crest of a wave.

"I've had a really good season, but there are still a lot of tournaments left so hopefully more silverware is on the horizon."

Wilson also had words of praise for world number 11 Hawkins, as he said: "It just shows how tough the standard is in snooker.

"You have to go past somebody like Barry, who is probably one of the best match players in the game.

"I have managed to scrape through 10-9, and I'm proud of the way I managed to hold off the fightback from Barry.

"I felt really good going into the final session, but Barry threw everything back at me and it ended up being a nail-biter."

The win is an emotional one for Wilson, with the trophy he won being named after his former manager, Brandon Parker, who passed away in 2020.

Parker was instrumental in bringing professional snooker to Germany and instigating this tournament, and Wilson said: "I won this event in 2019 and sadly Brandon passed away not long after that.

"He has missed a lot of iconic moments in my career, but it is right that his name is on this trophy, because if it wasn't for him then we wouldn't have this tournament.

"I'm so pleased I managed to win it with his name on there."

Wilson won't have too much time to savour his success in Germany, as he is due back in action on Tuesday as he competes in the BetVictor Championship League tournament at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.