Barry Hawkins believes the memories of previously squandering big leads helped him through after withstanding a remarkable Matt Selt comeback to edge into the second round of the World Snooker Championship.

Holding a 7-2 lead following Sunday’s first session, victory appeared a formality for the Ditton potter but Selt’s fightback for the ages meant he had to force his way over the line 10-9 .

That 7-2 lead soon became 9-4 but, with nothing to lose, the Atherstone-based cueman opened his shoulders and reeled off five frames on the spin, including back-to-back centuries, before Hawkins finally triumphed with a 43 break in the decider.

And as Selt mounted his comeback, the world No.5 admits he began having flashbacks to December’s UK Championship, where he blew a 5-0 lead over Nigel Bond to lose 6-5.

“Your mind can’t help but drift back to previous comebacks, especially that match against Bondy at the UK Championships,” explained Hawkins.

“It’s terrible when you lose a game like that, so it comes into your mind again. And the hardest bit is to put it back out of your mind.

“You start to think about what people will start saying about you – clincher’s disease and all that sort of stuff – so it is even tougher to keep your composure out there.

“I just drew on my experience over the last couple of years in the decider because it’s happened to me a lot. I was telling myself I’d done it before and people can’t say I haven’t got any bottle because I’ve come through a few matches like that now.”

In round two, Hawkins will face either Mark Allen or Ryan Day in a match set to begin on Friday afternoon.

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