Last updated on .From the section Snooker

England's Barry Hawkins beat countryman Peter Ebdon 9-3 to win the Australian Open and earn his first ranking title.

Hawkins, ranked 23, was in immaculate scoring touch and dominated the final, with consecutive 106 and 114 breaks giving him a 4-1 lead.

Ebdon came back into the match at 5-3 before Hawkins took the final four frames without reply to seal victory.

Hawkins, 33, beat Xiao Guodong, Matthew Stevens, Matthew Selt and Mark Davis en route to the final.

"Winning my first ranking event feels quite strange," said Hawkins. "I don't think it has sunk in yet, I feel quite calm. It'll probably sink in more when I get home and see the family.

Hawkins's milestone The Kent man becomes the 50th winner of a ranking event

"I'm delighted obviously and it could be a big moment in my career hopefully. I just can't believe it.

"Obviously it's going to give me a bit more confidence, well a lot of confidence to be honest and hopefully I can win another tournament. But it's so tough, just to win one is an achievement."

Opponent Ebdon was magnanimous in defeat and said after the match: "I didn't have a very good day at all, nothing really went for me and I really struggled out there in all departments and it's very disappointing.

"I'm delighted for him, that he's won his first ranking event. I would have rather that it hadn't been against me in the final, but he's been a winner waiting to happen for quite some time."