Jak Jones upset fellow home player Mark Williams to reach the last 32 of the Welsh Open in Llandudno on Tuesday.
The 29 year-old from Cwmbran trailed 2-1 but won three out of the last four frames with breaks of 73, 66, and 52 to knock out the two-time former champion.
“I’m really pleased with the win today,” Jak Jones told the World Snooker Tour following his victory over the world number seven.
“Mark is still one of the best players in the world and one of the most in-form players in the world, so to beat him in such a match is really big.”
“I felt comfortable in the beginning, but it’s so hot in the arena at the minute. I felt like from the fifth frame my concentration started to go.
“I wasn’t even seeing shots at times. But then obviously I made a nice break in the last frame to put me in control, so I’m pleased to come through the way I did.
“I wouldn’t say I felt the crowd was on his side or my side particularly, it didn’t feel anything like as if I was in South Wales.
“It was kind of strange. I shouldn’t say this, but it feels like I’m at one of the English tournaments or something – they’ll hate me saying that, it’s absolutely not like that.
“It was quite nice out there. It’s pretty much packed every day, the crowds are amazing.
“It’s a big opportunity (as a Welsh player). There are a lot more difficult matches to come, so I won’t be getting carried away with anything.
“Everyone is such a good player on the tour now, so every match is difficult. I’ll just keep trying my best and hopefully I can play well.”
Defeat for Williams means that he could miss out on a place in the upcoming Players Championship.
The 47 year-old is provisionally in 15th place in the one-year rankings but boasts a narrow lead over the chasing pack and will have to hope that other results go his way in order to make the 16-player lineup in Wolverhampton.
One formidable name who definitely won’t be featuring in the Players Championship is its reigning champion, Neil Robertson.
The Australian suffered a 4-0 whitewash at the hands of Dominic Dale, who was the other home representative to make it through on day two.
Currently ranked in 18th place on the one-year rankings list after a disappointing season so far, Robertson will not be able to defend his Players title.
While Jones and Dale powered through on home turf, it was a mixed day for the Welsh contingent overall as Matthew Stevens, Jackson Page, and amateur Liam Davies all crashed out.
Stevens lost a dramatic 4-3 thriller to Rod Lawler, Page was dispatched by Belgian teenager Ben Mertens, and Davies suffered a 4-0 reverse against Robbie Williams.
Elsewhere, there was plenty of drama in the Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ross Muir encounter, with the Rocket just about prevailing 4-3.
O’Sullivan played well but was hindered by his tip coming off not once but twice, and he subsequently gifted the sixth frame to his opponent via the three-miss rule.
The world champion is another player in danger of missing out at the Players Championship, needing to reach the final in Wales this week to qualify.
Among the others to reach the last 32 were defending champion Joe Perry, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Luca Brecel, Anthony McGill, and David Gilbert.
Former champions Ding Junhui and Stephen Maguire were both eliminated, however, after one-sided losses to Cao Yupeng and Yuan Sijun respectively.
Kyren Wilson’s indifferent run of form also continued with a 4-2 defeat against Pang Junxu.
On Wednesday, the round of 64 concludes with Judd Trump, John Higgins, Jack Lisowski, and recent German Masters champion Ali Carter among those in action.
Welsh Open Draw (L64)
Q1
Joe Perry 4-1 Mark Joyce
Liam Davies 0-4 Robbie Williams
Stuart Carrington 4-2 Andy Lee
Graeme Dott 2-4 Joe O’Connor
Hammad Miah 2-4 Aaron Hill
Pang Junxu 4-2 Kyren Wilson
Julien Leclercq 4-2 Jordan Brown
Jak Jones 4-3 Mark Williams
Q2
Judd Trump vs Louis Heathcote
Matthew Selt vs Daniel Wells
Shaun Murphy 4-1 Peng Yisong
Anthony McGill 4-2 Sam Craigie
David Lilley vs Ricky Walden
Ryan Thomerson vs Jack Lisowski
Yuan Sijun 4-1 Stephen Maguire
Dominic Dale 4-0 Neil Robertson
Q3
Mark Selby 4-3 Si Jiahui
Robert Milkins 4-2 Dean Young
Barry Hawkins vs Ben Woollaston
Hossein Vafaei vs Ken Doherty
Cao Yupeng 4-0 Ding Junhui
Elliot Slessor 0-4 Luca Brecel
Andy Hicks vs Wu Yize
Mitchell Mann vs Mark Allen
Q4
John Higgins vs Martin Gould
Mohamed Ibrahim vs Sanderson Lam
Tian Pengfei vs Jimmy White
Ali Carter vs Ian Martin
Chris Wakelin 2-4 David Gilbert
Ben Mertens 4-2 Jackson Page
Matthew Stevens 3-4 Rod Lawler
Ross Muir 3-4 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Featured photo credit: WST
Jak Jones’s statement about it feeling like an ‘English tournament’ is a little odd after a match against a fellow Welsh player, one who is a bonfide legend. That was likely the reason for ambivalence towards him. Deep progress should see the support come his way.
Yes he probably didn’t mean it too seriously, but an odd comment nonetheless.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Rod Lawler meet for the fourth time tonight. The Rocket has won all three previous meetings. What is slightly remarkable is that the two centuries made in those three clashes have come from the methodical Scouser. Lawler’s century ratios are more comparable to the 1970s.