World Snooker Championship: Kyren Wilson wins dramatic final frame as Jak Jones fights back at the Crucible
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Updated 06/05/2024 at 08:38 GMT
Jak Jones was blitzed by Kyren Wilson in the first session of the World Snooker Championship. The Welshman fought hard in the evening at the Crucible and was rewarded by getting back into the final. Wilson is still in command but his 7-1 lead was trimmed to 11-6. Stream top snooker action, including the 2024 World Championship, live and on-demand on Eurosport and discovery+.
'One of the centuries of the tournament' - Wilson makes his fourth ton of World final
Kyren Wilson won a dramatic final frame of session two to secure an 11-6 lead over Jak Jones in the final of the World Championship.
Wilson was utterly dominant in opening a 7-1 lead after Sunday afternoon’s first session.
Jones looked all at sea, but he returned in the evening far sharper and put Wilson under the pump.
The Welshman looked set to cut the gap to 10-7, but Wilson got a snooker in the final frame and won a black-ball battle to earn a five-frame lead heading into Monday’s concluding sessions at the Crucible.
The opening session was a tale of Jones making mistakes and Wilson punishing his errors.
The ninth frame looked set to be an extension of Sunday afternoon, but Wilson surprisingly failed to pot a red to the yellow pocket with the balls well set.
Jones, who steadied the ship by taking the final frame of the afternoon, compiled an excellent break of 75 to cut his deficit to five frames.
Jones struggled in all departments in the opening session, so it was a confidence boost to see him knock in his first long pot of the match in the 10th.
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'Right in the middle' - Jones knocks in his first long pot of match
He only made 28 before missing a black off its spot, but Wilson did not cash in and a safety error handed Jones a second chance and he made 52 to secure his third frame on the spin.
For the first time in the match there was pressure on Wilson, and it showed when he missed a red to the bottom left by a distance in the 11th.
He did not leave an easy starter for Jones who made a questionable shot choice by going for a high-tariff red to the green pocket.
It failed to drop, leaving his opponent an easy starter and from being under the pump, Wilson made his third century of the match to restore his five-frame lead at 8-3.
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Wilson makes third century of match against Jones in World final
At the start of the evening, Jones’ aim would have been to win the opening mini-session. He had that chance in the 12th, but a poor shot choice cost him.
He elected to flick a red and play for the pink, when a better option would have been to screw back for the blue. The cannon did not work, and Wilson picked off a break of 60 to move 9-3 ahead.
Despite slipping six behind, Jones’ body language was positive and he hit back by taking the 13th. He needed three digs to get the frame won, but he played attacking shots to suggest he was still fighting.
Wilson has looked completely at ease at the Crucible, and he responded to Jones taking the 13th with his fourth ton of the match, described by Philip Studd in the Eurosport commentary box as “one of the centuries of the tournament.”
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'One of the centuries of the tournament' - Wilson makes his fourth ton of World final
A fortunate flick saw Jones put Wilson in a fiendish snooker in the 15th, and after some deliberation he was urged by a member of the crowd to close his eyes and have a swing.
He went for a more subtle approach, but failed to escape and Jones made a string of superb pots to take the frame.
A brilliant red from Jones in the 16th showed his confidence was high and he raced through a run of 90, his highest break of the match, to cut the gap to four.
Wilson had made the game look easy but missed a tough green on 35 in the final frame of the session.
The roar from the crowd made it obvious that he had left a chance for Jones, with the Crucible faithful desperate to see a tight contest.
Jones made an excellent 64 and it left Wilson needing a snooker. He got it and picked off the colours to take it to the final black.
It was a dramatic battle, with excellent safety and both having a shot at the pot.
Jones went for a double and was unfortunate to see it wriggle in the jaws of the yellow pocket, and Wilson potted it before pumping his fist to his box - more in relief than celebration.
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Wilson wins dramatic black-ball battle to take final frame of session two
As the players shook hands, Jones stared Wilson in the eye and Alan McManus in the Eurosport studio said it was a sure sign that he was still in the fight.
Wilson blitzes Jones by taking seven frames in first session
Kyren Wilson took a stranglehold on the World Championship final, racing into a 7-1 lead over a shellshocked Jak Jones.
Wilson was seen as the overwhelming favourite heading into the match, with the experience of his loss in the 2020 final viewed as a major advantage.
The burden of favouritism did not sit heavy on Wilson’s shoulders as he opened the match with a century and powered on against an opponent who was totally at sea on his debut appearance in a World Championship final.
Wilson kicked off the match in stunning fashion, producing a century in the first frame of a Crucible final for the first time since Stephen Hendry’s ton against Jimmy White in 1993.
The 116 total clearance came after Jones caught the blue with his safety and Wilson knocked in a superb red as a starter. What followed was top-drawer snooker.
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Wilson opens Jones match with 129, first century in first frame of a World final since 1993
The first was a clean kill. The second was not, but it still went to Wilson after Jones passed up a couple of chances to steady the nerves and get a frame on the board.
Jones’ troubles continued in the third as he missed with the rest by a distance.
Wilson countered with 47 before missing a straight blue, but he was not punished as Jones played an awful positional shot from a red and missed the black to fall 3-0 behind.
Jones fell three frames behind to Stuart Bingham in his semi-final before sparking into life in the fourth.
But there were no signs of life from Jones in the fourth this time, as Wilson made 66 to sweep the opening four frames.
Wilson was not infallible and missed a red in the fifth frame, but Jones made a mess of his counter - splitting the reds after missing his pot - and his opponent punished the mistake with a run of 62.
The onslaught continued in the sixth, as Jones butchered a red and and Wilson seized on the error with a break of 125 to extend his lead.
A huge cheer greeted a Jones fluke in the seventh, but he did not take advantage of his slice of good fortune as a terrible positional shot on the black ended his break.
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'Like party time' - Huge cheer greets Jones fluke against Wilson
Wilson had been relentless in his progress to the final, and he made Jones look on uncomfortably in his seat as he picked off a break of 90 to make it seven frames on the spin.
Jones pulled one positive from the wreckage as he took the final frame with a break of 65, but a mountain is in front of him ahead of the second session on Sunday evening.
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