 Complete the following phrase:  In December 2017, Hawkins advanced to the third round of the UK Championship after beating Kurt Dunham and Hammad Miah, but was knocked out by Akani Songsermsawad after suffering a 60 defeat. After match, Hawkins said that he was in a state of shock for his performance. In January 2018, Hawkins was defeated by the eventual finalist Kyren Wilson in the first round of the Masters, he lost 64. In March, Hawkins reached the final of the Welsh Open after beating the likes of Tom Ford, Martin Gould, Yan Bingtao, and Noppon Saengkham. He faced John Higgins in the final. Despite making three centuries, he eventually lost 97. In April, Hawkins reached another final in a ranking event, this time he faced Mark Selby in the final of the China Open. But Selby, the defending champion, was proven to be too strong for Hawkins on the day, Hawkins lost by 113. In May, Hawkins maintained his excellent record at the Crucible, after beating Stuart Carrington, Lyu Haotian, and Ding Junhui, he reached another semi-final at the 