“I didn’t care whether I won or lost,” said O’Sullivan.

“I’m so peed off with the game and I’m bored with it. I’d rather be planting a few shrubs in the garden.

“If I lost, so what. If I won, so what. My heart’s not in it, but what else would I be doing?”

O’Sullivan’s comments will do nothing to help the image of the game but maybe the man from Chigwell does not care.

He has already signed a contract to play 8-ball pool in America, and added: “I don’t care who I play in the final.

“Hopefully the match gets abandoned and maybe John Virgo and Willie Thorne come out and play a few trick shots. I really don’t care.

“Losing used to hurt me, but it doesn’t any more. How weird is that?”

O’Sullivan forged into a 3-1 lead, but 26-year-old Hawkins, from Sydeham, gave it his all and pushed his opponent all the way.

The left-hander levelled with a superb 145 break, the tournament highest so far which will pocket him additional prize money of £4,000 if it is not bettered.

But Hawkins had been on a maximum 147 having potted 12 reds and 12 blacks.

He was forced to take a blue after an unfortunate nudge but still held his nerve to put himself right back in the match.

The match went to 5-5 after both players knocked in notable breaks but Hawkins had earlier missed a black on 47, just when it looked like he was going to take a 5-4 lead.

O’Sullivan stole victory with a superb 117 break, but admitted Hawkins deserved to have won.

“He deserved to win it. I was cruising at 3-1, missed a silly ball and then he made a 145 and the momentum was with him,” said O’Sullivan.

“I played some loose shots to let him get in – and fair play to him he played well and I should be out.

“He was trying his nuts off out there, which isn’t fair because I really didn’t care.

“I was just going to wait for my last opportunity and take that chance when it came.

“It was a bit of a slog, but I just want to get the game out of the way on Sunday, get my bags packed and go home.

“I want to put my cue in the boot and get out the back door.”

Hawkins was understandably disappointed to have been beaten but admitted he did have his chances.

“If I’d have got that black and gone 5-4, then it might have been different, but if you make one mistake Ronnie clears up,” said Hawkins.

“I was 3-1 down at the interval, so I said ‘Sod it, just go out there let your arm go’.

“He (Ronnie) said to me afterwards: ‘Stick with it, you’re doing well’.

“I was feeling good out there, especially after I’d made the 145 break. The first couple of frames I let him in, but it did take me a bit of time to settle.

“Once I did, I played well. I can’t ask for a better start to the season.

“It would have been really nice to have got a 147 as well, but I played a bad shot and left myself awkward on the black.

“I was determined to make sure I got the 145 break, though.”