Mark King wins first ranking title at Northern Ireland Open after 25 years of trying

Mark King claimed his first ranking title as a professional with a thrilling 9-8 victory over fellow Englishman Barry Hawkins at the Northern Ireland Open.

Hawkins raced into a 5-1 lead after breaks of 83 and 113 but King, who was playing his first ranking final since the 2004 Irish Masters, responded with frames of 48 and 42 to cut the deficit to two frames at the end of the first session.