Gould cruises past Hawkins in Shangahi

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Martin Gould cruised in to the second round of the Shanghai Masters with a thumping 5-1 victory over former World Championship runner-up Barry Hawkins.

Gould celebrated his 34th birthday in style, hitting a break of 109 in the opening frame of the first-round encounter.

And the Pinner potter was always in control as he went 3-0 ahead.

He made it 4-0 up with a break of 52 in the fourth frame and closed out the win after Hawkins took a scrappy fifth frame.

Gould, who has struggled with a series of ear infections in the last 12 months, will face four-time world champion John Higgins in the second round.

Higgins beat Gould in the final of the Australian Open in July.

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