Jak Jones is nothing if not stubborn, which can often have its advantages in sport.
But the World Snooker Championship hopeful was perhaps better up giving up the ghost during Friday’s semi-final against Stuart Bingham. That’s after missing one high-difficulty shot a remarkable seven times as he ended the afternoon session on a major low.
Bingham – who’s targeting his second world snooker title after previously winning at the Crucible in 2015 – left his opponent hemmed in behind the green. And despite having several reds to aim at, Jones was adamant to pull off the higher-risk, higher-reward play he had in his sights.
READ MORE: World Snooker Championship star catches flies undone and jokes ‘there’s not much to see’
READ MORE: Snooker star reveals Roy Keane nerves as Man Utd icon watches World Championship
The crowd could hardly believe what they were witnessing as Jones, 30, conceded 28 penalty points in that sequence alone before finally getting the shot right. That’s in addition to another 21 penalty points he accrued in the final frame of the day, which left the duo tied at 8-8 heading into Saturday.
“Jak Jones will kill snooker’s popularity with this boring style of play,” decried one fan regarding Jones’ tactics. And they weren’t alone in bemoaning the 30-year-old’s methods.
Should snooker introduce a rule to limit repeat fouls? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Image: PA)
“This is Jak Jones style,” declared another critic. “He plays snoozeker his name should be the boa constrictor. He just bores his opponents into submission.” And a third joked: “Jak Jones definitely plans his meals for a month.”
‘The Silent Assassin’ is aiming to become the first Welshman to reach the World Snooker Championship final since 2018. Countryman Mark Williams lifted the title on that occasion, which came some 13 years after the last Welsh finalist (runner-up Matthew Stevens).
Jones will claim a small piece of history if he goes on to beat Bingham and advance once more. But it’s fair to say there are some fans who would rather his style of play doesn’t feature in the crunch Crucible clash.