Jak Jones edged one of the closest groups of this year’s Championship League Snooker to reach Stage Two on Friday in Leicester.
The Welshman has generally struggled to build on his surprise run to the 2024 World Championship final and now sits only just inside the world’s top 32.
Jones, however, made a positive start to this season’s opening ranking event by prevailing from a dramatic Group 22 in which all four players remained in contention heading into the final round of fixtures.
The 31 year-old opened with a 3-0 victory over Michael Larkov before sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Alfie Burden.
Jones then suffered a 3-1 defeat to Oliver Lines, but he crucially claimed the third frame to deny his English opponent a whitewash.
That proved enough to see Jones finish in a three-way tie on four points with Lines and Larkov, advancing on frame difference to secure his place in Stage Two.
Joining the 32 year-old in the next phase of the competition will be Iulian Boiko, who emerged unbeaten from Group 4.
The Ukrainian orchestrated two victories and a draw from his three round robin fixtures, tying with Lan Yuhao while also recording identical wins over Ian Martin and Joshua Thomond.
With both players ending on the same number of points and a matching frame difference, Boiko’s highest break of 90 edged Lan’s best effort of 85 to send the 20 year-old through.
Twenty-two of the 32 Stage One group winners have now been determined, leaving just ten places still up for grabs.
The action continues on Saturday with the last two Championship League winners both entering the fray.
Ali Carter, the 2024 champion, headlines Group 12 alongside Jamie Jones, Patrick Whelan, and Leone Crowley, while defending champion Stephen Maguire faces Robbie Williams, Anton Kazakov, and Ng On Yee in Group 19.
Championship League Snooker represents the opening ranking event of the fledgling 2026/27 snooker season.
The overall winner on July 15th will take home £33,000 worth of prize money and ranking points, plus a ticket to the lucrative Champion of Champions invitational later this year.
Live coverage is available for Ireland and UK viewers on the Matchroom Multi Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels.
Friday, July 3
Group 4 Results
Iulian Boiko 3-0 Ian Martin
Lan Yuhao 3-1 Joshua Thomond
Lan Yuhao 3-0 Ian Martin
Iulian Boiko 3-1 Joshua Thomond
Joshua Thomond 3-1 Ian Martin
Iulian Boiko 2-2 Lan Yuhao
Group 4 Table
1. Iulian Boiko – 7 points
2. Lan Yuhao – 7 points
3. Joshua Thomond – 3 points
4. Ian Martin – 0 points
Click here for more information about the tournament.
Group 22 Results
Jak Jones 3-0 Michael Larkov
Oliver Lines 2-2 Alfie Burden
Michael Larkov 3-1 Oliver Lines
Jak Jones 2-2 Alfie Burden
Alfie Burden 2-2 Michael Larkov
Oliver Lines 3-1 Jak Jones
Group 22 Table
1. Jak Jones – 4 points
2. Oliver Lines – 4 points
3. Michael Larkov – 4 points
4. Alfie Burden – 3 points
Featured photo credit: WST
