Zhao Xintong blitzed Kent’s Barry Hawkins 6-1 to reach the final of the UK Championship.

The rising Chinese star has been threatening to make the breakthrough for some time, and is now one win away from a Triple Crown title after he overwhelmed his experienced opponent.

Virtually every time Hawkins erred – and there were too many mistakes for comfort for the 42-year-old from Ditton – Zhao stepped in to punish in ruthless fashion.

Breaks of 78, 78, 100 and 78 had him in total command at the interval. Hawkins took the fifth to threaten a comeback, but it was snuffed out in ruthless fashion by Zhao.

Hawkins had a chance in the opening frame but missed a pink by a distance, and Zhao stepped in to settle the nerves with a break of 78.

The second followed the same pattern as the first, as Hawkins missed a red similar to the pink – and Zhao came to the table and knocked in a series of sizzling pots in another break of 78.

He opened the third with a glorious red into the right middle, and it set him on the way to his fifth century of the tournament.

Hawkins was under pressure, and he inexplicably left a red short in the fourth frame – and Zhao pounced with a third break of 78 to lead 4-0 at the break.

Zhao proved he is human by missing a simple red in the frame after the resumption. Hawkins did not kill it off at the first time of asking, and had to withstand a barrage of pressure after being put in a fiendish snooker.

However, Zhao got greedy by attempting to lay another snooker on the green, only to leave it over the right middle and Hawkins potted it to get on the board.

Losing the fifth on the back of his first errors of the match was a test of Zhao’s character. It was one he passed with flying colours, as a sloppy escape from a snooker by Hawkins handed the youngster a chance and he hoovered up a break of 74 to get within one of the winning line.

It was appropriate after a potting barrage that a brilliant long red got him going in the seventh. Nerves did not appear to be any concern as he confidently knocked in a break of 81 to set up a meeting with Luca Brecel.