Jak Jones
Ranking, Snooker Headlines

Jak Jones holds on to win Championship League group

Jak Jones got his 2024/25 season off to a positive start by topping Group 8 of Championship League Snooker in dramatic circumstances on Monday.

This year’s surprise World Championship finalist went undefeated at the Mattioli Arena with a victory and two draws from his three round-robin fixtures.

The Welshman began the day with a 2-2 draw with Antoni Kowalski, Poland’s newest professional player who ended up sharing the points in all of his ties.

Jones then beat Hungary’s first ever snooker professional, overcoming Révész Bulcsú 3-1 with a high break of 88 that would ultimately prove to be crucial.

By this point, Jordan Brown had accumulated the same number of points following a 3-1 win and a 2-2 draw with the same opponents.

When Jones subsequently went 2-1 up against Brown in the last match of the day, the latter knew that, with their records set to be identical, only a contribution higher than Jones’ earlier 88 would take him through.

The Northern Irishman indeed won the frame but fell agonisingly short of his target, breaking down on 87 to concede a spot in Stage Two of the competition.

In Group 7, meanwhile, Tom Ford was the highest ranked player but was forced to pull out midway through the day’s action due to medical reasons.

That opened the door for the remaining three contenders, who each secured one win and suffered one loss from the revised three-player format.

It came down to frame difference with the points level, ensuring a terrific start to life on the tour for rookie Robbie McGuigan.

The Northern Irishman’s 3-0 whitewash defeat of Sanderson Lam ended up being critical as he edged out both Lam and Barry Pinches in the final standings.

On Tuesday, Championship League Snooker continues with two more groups in what is the campaign’s first ranking tournament.

Group 24 sees Ricky Walden in action against Martin O’Donnell, Rory Thor, and Umut Dikme.

Wu Yize is the top seed in Group 28, with the young Chinese competitor cueing up alongside Ross Muir, Allan Taylor, and Joshua Cooper.


Championship League Snooker
Stage One Draw

Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4
Scott DonaldsonHe GuoqiangShaun MurphyMark Williams
Kyren WilsonMitchell MannSteven HallworthConnor Benzey
Daniel WomersleyRonnie O’SullivanTian PengfeiDavid Grace
Baipat SiripapornKayden BrierleyReanne EvansFergal Quinn
Group 5Group 6Group 7Group 8
Ali CarterGary WilsonRobbie McGuiganJak Jones
Xing ZihaoJoe PerryBarry PinchesJordan Brown
Joshua ThomandMichael HoltSanderson LamAntoni Kowalski
Kreishh GurbaxaniHuang JiahaoTom FordBulcsú Révész
Group 9Group 10Group 11Group 12
Ma HailongJackson PageRyan DayJack Lisowski
Ben MertensAndrew HigginsonLiam DaviesMark Davis
John HigginsRobert MilkinsHammad MiahJiang Jun
Artemijs ZizinsIulian BoikoMarco FuAnton Kazakov
Group 13Group 14Group 15Group 16
Si JiahuiHossein VafaeiDavid GilbertFan Zhengyi
Peter LinesLouis HeathcoteXu SiAlfie Burden
Zak SuretyJoshua MulhollandDuane JonesMink Nutcharut
Jimmy RobertsonManasawin PhetmalaikulAndrew PagettZhou Yuelong
Group 17Group 18Group 19Group 20
Chris WakelinStuart BinghamLong ZehuangStuart Carrington
Ian BurnsHamim HussainAlfie DaviesPang Junxu
Rory McLeodAnthony HamiltonLei PeifanGong Chenzhi
Liam PullenAhmed Aly ElsayedJamie O’NeillGerard Greene
Group 21Group 22Group 23Group 24
Neil RobertsonJoe O’ConnorMichael WhiteMartin O’Donnell
Cheung Ka WaiAaron HillRyan DaviesRicky Walden
Jamie ClarkeHarvey ChandlerStephen MaguireRory Thor
Zack RichardsonOliver LinesDean YoungUmut Dikme
Group 25Group 26Group 27Group 28
Matthew StevensAlexander UrsenbacherDavid LilleyWu Yize
Farakh AjaibMatthew SeltYuan SijunRoss Muir
Robbie WilliamsGraeme DottLiam GrahamAllan Taylor
Haydon PinheyFlorian NuesslePaul DeavilleJoshua Cooper
Group 29Group 30Group 31Group 32
Ben WoollastonJamie JonesAshley CartyThepchaiya Un-Nooh
Stan MoodyIshpreet Singh ChadhaElliot SlessorDaniel Wells
Dominic DaleChris TottenSimon BlackwellMark Joyce
Dylan EmeryLiu HongyuMostafa DorghamJulien Leclercq

Stage Two

Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D
Scott DonaldsonDavid GilbertLong ZehuangMark Williams
Fan ZhengyiStuart BinghamHossein VafeaiBen Woollaston
Thepchaiya Un-NoohHe GuoqiangShaun MurphyStuart Carrington
Chris WakelinAshley CartyJamie JonesSi Jiahui
Group EGroup FGroup GGroup H
Ali CarterDavid LilleyJackson PageMartin O’Donnell
Wu YizeGary WilsonAlexander UrsenbacherJak Jones
Jack LisowskiRyan DayRobbie McGuiganMatthew Stevens
Neil RobertsonJoe O’ConnorMichael WhiteMa Hailong

Stage Three

Final Group 1Final Group 2
Ali CarterJackson Page
Scott DonaldsonDavid Gilbert
Mark WilliamsLong Zehuang
Martin O’DonnellDavid Lilley

Final (bo5)

Ali Carter 3-1 Jackson Page


Featured photo credit: WST

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