LIGHTS, camera and action - Barry Hawkins is hoping the arrival of TV crews at the York Barbican this weekend can fire his passion for snooker.

The 2013 World Championship finalist admitted to having “lost a bit of interest” in the game after a straight-forward 6-1 victory over Ashley Carty in the opening round of the Coral UK Snooker Championship.

The tournament’s fifth seed has struggled for form in recent months and admits his troubles may be motivational.

Hawkins explained: “My form hasn’t been great in the last few tournaments. I started off all right. I got to the semi-final of the first tournament but I think we have only played four proper ranking events.

“I have lost a couple of first rounds and I lost in the first round in Germany so it has not been great. I think that is more mental than anything.

“I think a few of us are going through it. It sounds like you are complaining a bit too much but I have just lot a bit of interest in the last few months and it is hard to get motivated sometimes.

“Hopefully, tournaments like this, when you are playing out there and the TV starts - it feels like a big occasion and the old adrenalin kicks in.”

Hawkins feels the proliferation of tournaments over the past couple of seasons could be to blame for his malaise and continued: “I haven’t got the luxury that Ronnie O’Sullivan has of picking and choosing when he wants to play.

“He’s that good, he can do that. Perhaps I should leave a little bit more. I feel like I have to play in more tournaments than I should do.

“I am eager to play when I get there and, all of a sudden, when I am out there sometimes I just feel a bit flat.

“For tournaments like this, when the BBC are involved and there is a lot of money at stake, the motivation comes back a bit then.

“It sounds a bit bad when you say ‘I have lost interest’ but it happens. It happens to everyone. You go up and down throughout the season.

“Hopefully, I can start doing well again now.”

On his victory over Carty, Hawkins said: “It got a bit scrappy. I showed signs of form in a few of the frames. There were a few I should have just killed off but he played on for snookers. It ran the time up a little bit.

“I am pleased to get through. It’s always tricky to get through the first hurdle. I have got a few days off now and, hopefully, I will play better in the next match.”

Hawkins will meet fellow former world finalist Nigel Bond, who beat Stuart Carrington 6-3 and made the first century of the tournament, in the last 64 on Saturday evening.

“Nigel has been around for a long time now,” he said. “He is a great player and, obviously, he has done a lot in the game. He’s a little bit inconsistent but, on his day, he is capable of beating anybody.

“I will have to be on my game from the very start.”