Jak Jones is through to his first World Championship final

Snooker scores: Jak Jones beats Stuart Bingham in World Championship semi-final

By Sporting Life

Snooker

Sun May 05, 2024 · 7M ago

Jak Jones ultimately ran out a commanding 17-12 winner against Stuart Bingham to reach the final of the World Championship on just his second appearance at the Crucible.

Jones came through two qualifying matches to reach the main draw but will now face Kyren Wilson seeking to become just the fourth qualifier to capture the title, and first since Shaun Murphy in 2005.

The pair were called off early as their afternoon session ran towards the evening, Jones taking five of the seven frames played to establish a 13-10 lead with one session remaining, the prospect of a late finish seemingly strong.

Bingham took the first frame back to reduce his arrears to two and further that impression but that would be as close as the 2015 champion got to Jones, who won the match handsomely despite a high break of just 72.

The world number 44, who will again be the underdog when he faces Wilson across two days, has now beaten two world champions and in doing so on Saturday, ensured that there will be a new name on the trophy.

Session three recap

Jak Jones edged into a three-frame lead over Stuart Bingham and is four away from his first World Championship final.

Resuming at 8-8 on Saturday morning, Bingham took the first and last frames but the five in-between all went the way of Jones, despite Bingham having opportunities in each of them.

The pair were hauled off one short of their allotted eight after a gruelling session that averaged over 24 minutes per frame, including one that drifted towards the hour mark and required mid-frame toilet breaks.

They will resume and play to a finish on Saturday evening with Jones, the world number 44, in command.

Session two recap

Stuart Bingham salvaged the session in the final frame as he and Jak Jones again proved inseparable at 8-8 in a race to 17.

Bingham won the first two frames of Friday's play but it was the last which may prove vital, as he took it to draw level having watched Jones win four of the previous five.

Jones had gone from 6-4 down to 7-6 in front but Bingham restored parity after a tense 16th frame which looked like it might again go Jones' way when he began to eat into Bingham's lead, which had been 61-0.

But the Welshman ran out of position on the penultimate red and, after an unfortunate in-off when later potting it, eventually had to settle for as-you-were heading into Saturday's final two sessions and, on this evidence, a long night.

Session one recap

Jak Jones recovered from 3-0 down to finish the first session of his World Championship semi-final with Stuart Bingham all square at 4-4.

Playing in the single table set-up at the Crucible for the first time, Jones started nervily as Bingham followed up a dominant first frame with a break of 94 in the second.

Jones then missed a pair of straightforward reds to the middle pocket to slip further behind, before a missed blue from Bingham when closing in on a 4-0 lead handed Jones a lifeline.

The Welshman held himself together really well, sinking brilliant pots on brown and blue before closing out the frame on the black.

Upon returning from the mid-session interval, Jones appeared more settled and a run of 62 closed the gap to one, and he then drew level by winning frame six.

Bingham reclaimed the lead with a break of 79, but Jones finished with his highest break of the night (72) to regain parity at the end of an engrossing opening session.