Barry Hawkins gets injury scare before World Snooker Championship title bid as ‘The Hawk’ explains World Open absence.

Barry Hawkins has revealed he is still dealing with a troublesome back injury as he prepares for upcoming major tournaments, forcing him to withdraw from the World Open in Yushan. The world No. 9 decided to skip the event in order to protect his chances of competing strongly in the Tour Championship and the World Snooker Championship later this season.

The Englishman admitted the decision was difficult, especially after recently battling through pain to win the Welsh Open. Despite suffering with a lower-back problem, Hawkins managed to push through the discomfort and secure a convincing 9–5 victory over Jack Lisowski in the final in Llandudno, claiming the Ray Reardon Trophy.

However, with the injury still causing discomfort even during practice sessions, Hawkins chose not to risk further aggravating it by travelling to China for the World Open. He had been scheduled to face Ian Burns in the last-64 round before withdrawing on medical grounds.

Hawkins explained that pulling out of tournaments is never an easy choice, but resting the injury now gives him the best chance of being fully prepared for the Tour Championship in Manchester and the World Championship in Sheffield. The Tour Championship, featuring the season’s top 12 players, is viewed as ideal preparation for the sport’s biggest stage at the Crucible.

Interestingly, Hawkins nearly withdrew from the Welsh Open earlier due to the injury. Messages from fellow professionals Mark Selby and Neil Robertson encouraged him to continue, jokingly asking for a small share of the prize money if he went on to win. Hawkins ultimately stayed in the tournament, took painkillers, and found the discomfort eased enough for him to complete a memorable triumph.

Now a five-time ranking event winner across a 26-year professional career, Hawkins will again be among the seeded players at the World Championship. He will be hoping to finally capture snooker’s biggest prize after finishing runner-up in 2013, when he lost the final 18–12 to Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible.