Kent-based Hawkins knocked out world number one Mark Selby to reach the quarter-finals at the Crucible for the first time, then outplayed China's top player Ding to reach the one-table set up on snooker's biggest stage. Hawkins was placed in the toughest section of the draw but his rock-solid all-round game and composure under pressure have got him this far. He will face Ricky Walden or Michael White over 33 frames on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a place in the final.
World number 14 Hawkins, who is enjoying the best season of his career having won his first ranking title at the Australian Goldfields Open last July, led 9-7 overnight and pulled away to win four frames in a row for victory. Ding, a winner of six ranking titles, looked out of sorts and admitted he struggles with the 10am starts.
Hawkins, age 33, cleared from the last red to pink to win the first frame today then made it 11-7 with a break of 64. In the crucial 19th frame, Ding had a chance to clear from 50-18 down, but missed the final brown. Hawkins potted brown and blue to leave a frame-ball pink to a top corner. It missed its target but rolled the diagonal length of the table and dropped into a baulk corner. A break of 60 gave Hawkins control of the next, and when Ding played a poor safety shot with three reds left, the Englishman added the points he needed.
"I'm speechless," admitted a delighted Hawkins. "I was a bit calmer especially in the last frame when I was making the break, I felt pretty good. I missed a middle-distance red which I should've got really but apart from that I was quite pleased with how I felt by the end to get over the line.
"I've been trying so hard for so long just to make some kind of breakthrough and I managed to do it this year in Australia. I've been pretty consistent through most of this year but to come here and get to the one table set-up is like a dream come true.
"I'm delighted, not just for myself, but for everyone else around me and everybody who has helped me since I was a junior and especially people back home.
"It took a lot of hard work with Terry Griffiths which is thanks to On-Q Promotions and Paul Mount. I'd never have met Terry if it wasn't for them. It's been a lot of hard work trying to deal with the pressure situations so to do it on the biggest stage of the world is unbelievable.
"I'm going to be so nervous when I come out tomorrow, I'm going to be bricking it to be fair! I'm looking forward to it, it's what we all play for. I've never experienced it before so I'm sure the hairs on the back of my neck are going to stand up.
"Hopefully I can just settle down and perform. I know it's easier said than done but I'm going to do my best out there."
Ding said: "I don't like morning sessions because I can't sleep properly the night before. Sometimes something bad that's happened keeps battering away in your mind so you can't sleep.
"Some players get help from experienced players but I haven't got anyone to help me so I have to do everything myself. I like to listen to people who will tell me if I'm doing something bad, that would be a big help for me.
"Barry took his chances and made big breaks and every frame his safety was good. Mine wasn't as good because I left him a lot of chances to take. Sometimes you need to be very strong but that's what experience will do for me. I need to learn what to do in each session."
