- Jak Jones reaches World Snooker final, criticizes defeated rivals
- He faces Kyren Wilson, secures unexpected berth in final
- Wilson defeats David Gilbert, prepares for final rematch opportunity
After defeating Stuart Bingham 17-12 to advance to the World Snooker Championship final, Jak Jones secured an unexpected berth and referred to his defeated opponents as “pathetic” for criticizing his playing style.
The world No. 44 will face Kyren Wilson in the two-day championship match that begins on Sunday, following Wilson’s 17-11 victory over David Gilbert. Bingham and Judd Trump, both of whom were defeated by the Welshman in his last eight matches, both suggested that Jones’ frustrating strategies had disrupted their cadence and contributed to their ultimate defeats.
Jones, who has not advanced to a ranking final in the past, replied, “This appears to be a standard pretext employed by these competitors to undermine me. Despite being regarded as the preeminent performers globally, they are currently lamenting being disrupted from their rhythm.
“They are compelled to say the same thing each time they lose a match against me.” They are simply incapable of accepting it. It’s pitiful, isn’t it? As much as possible, the worst aspect of playing them is having the impression that they are eager to continue the game.
The 30-year-old further stated, “I couldn’t believe Judd was competing against me; he completely transformed into a different player.” With that, he became only the third qualifier to win the trophy in Sheffield. “I am not bothered by it.” “It is simple to place the blame on my actions, but since they are producing the desired results, I will accept responsibility.”
Jones qualified for the first round proper after enduring two qualifying rounds; he has only qualified for the ninth qualifier in the Crucible’s 47-year history to secure a spot in the final. Following in the footsteps of his countryman Terry Griffiths in 1979 and Shaun Murphy in 2005, he aspires to achieve the championship by completing the distance.
Bingham had closed the gap to 13-11 in the opening frame of the evening session. However, the tide turned in the second when Bingham committed an inexplicable error while attempting to maintain his composure on the green, allowing the Welshman to clear and reclaim the lead by three frames.
Jones maintained his lead through more difficult frames before seizing an opportunity presented by Bingham’s missed black to inch closer to triumph with a composed 70 break. Additional errors by Bingham presented Jones with his first opportunity in the following match, which he converted in two attempts to complete his fairy tale run to the championship.
Wilson, the No. 12 seed, earlier completed his victory over Gilbert by capturing three of the four frames necessary to secure a rematch with Gilbert and a second opportunity at the title, following his loss to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2020 final.
Wilson, who had a nine-Nielson contest that was tensely positioned at 9-9, destroyed his opponent with five consecutive frames in their second session on Friday evening. With that four-frame advantage, he never appeared likely to abandon the opportunity.
Gilbert did narrow the deficit to 14-11 with a 70-point break in the first frame of the day, but his fate was effectively sealed after he performed worse in a protracted safety battle in the second.
After potting the decisive blue, Wilson exhaled and blew a kiss to his family in the stands. On Sunday, he will begin as a heavy favorite in his second final.
Subsequently, the 32-year-old disclosed that his journey to the final, which concludes a lackluster season in which he made it to the tour semi-final at the German Masters, was aided by hypnotherapy sessions.
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Wilson stated, “It’s practically emptying your stress bucket.” “Everyone has circumstances that can have an impact on their daily lives, and it enabled me to venture outside and experience a greater sense of liberation. It would be a tremendous help if you could simply eliminate the numerous unimportant thoughts that clog your consciousness before you begin playing snooker; doing so would significantly simplify the game.
“At the third session, when Gilbert missed a few, I knew I needed to make it home.” “I was well aware that Dave could easily elicit a response from me, so I was determined to prevail in that mental battle.”
It concluded a heartening comeback for Wilson, who has endured a challenging two years due in part to family illness and injury. Wilson showed no repercussions of last year’s crushing 13-2 defeat to John Higgins as he easily dispatched Dominic Dale, Joe O’Connor, and Higgins.
Wilson further stated, “I have grown substantially.” “At that time, panic alarms would have gone off if something weren’t going perfectly well, and my performance may have suffered as a result, but I’ve since gained experience and learned a difficult lesson.”
