Jak Jones continued his remarkable run at the 2024 World Snooker Championship by reaching the final at Stuart Bingham’s expense on Saturday.
The Welshman, the world number 44 at the start of the tournament, beat the 2015 world champion 17-12 in a hard-fought encounter at the Crucible Theatre.
Jones will face Kyren Wilson for the title, the latter having earlier sealed his spot in the final showdown courtesy of a 17-11 triumph over David Gilbert.
It means that for the second successive edition of a World Championship, there will be a new name on the trophy.
Whatever happens with regard that outcome, arguably the biggest story of the tournament will be the unexpected challenge that Jones has mounted.
The 30 year-old, a quarter-finalist on his debut a year ago, has producing a grinding standard of snooker that has worn one opponent down after another on the sport’s biggest stage.
“It’s going to take a while to sink in properly,” Jak Jones, who is guaranteed to rise into the top 16 in the rankings, told the World Snooker Tour.
“I’ve got another match to play tomorrow, so I’ll just give that my all and see what happens.”
“I think the long formats kind of suit me. It’s the biggest occasion, the biggest tournament in the world, and I seem to do better here than anywhere else. It brings something out of me.
“I don’t tend to get rattled any more. It’s all part of the game, going behind and trying to come back. I’m kind of used to it.
“Trying to stay calm is key, because if you get your chance, then you’ve got to take it.
“Stuart missed a few balls in the game, the same as Judd [Trump] did against me – kind of let me off. In the end, I think I played solid enough just to get over the line.
“I don’t feel that excited to be honest. I suppose I should, but it’s probably because I’ve still got another match to play and prepare for.
“Getting excited or anything like that won’t do me any favours.
“I think once I stand there to be called out, then I’ll probably feel pretty excited I would imagine. It might hit home a little bit, so I look forward to that moment.”
The final between Kyren Wilson and Jak Jones takes place over the best of 35 frames on Sunday and Monday.
2024 World Snooker Championship Draw
Round 1 (bo19)
Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian
Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) 10-6 Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui
Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-1 Jackson Page
Round 2 (bo25)
David Gilbert 13-4 Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire 13-9 Shaun Murphy (8)
Joe O’Connor 6-13 Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (13) 13-12 Mark Allen (4)
Judd Trump (3) 13-7 Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones 13-9 Si Jiahui
Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day 7-13 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Quarter-Finals (bo25)
David Gilbert 13-8 Stephen Maguire
Kyren Wilson (12) 13-8 John Higgins (13)
Judd Trump (3) 9-13 Jak Jones
Stuart Bingham 13-10 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Semi-Finals (bo33)
David Gilbert 11-17 Kyren Wilson (12)
Jak Jones 17-12 Stuart Bingham
Final (bo35)
Kyren Wilson (12) 18-14 Jak Jones
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Featured photo credit: WST
