KYREN WILSON clinched the World Snooker Championship title and then issued an apology to Welsh player Jak Jones after a gripping final match. Wilson, visibly moved, ultimately triumphed 18-14 over Jones, who admirably fought back from a daunting 7-0 deficit.
Jones launched a determined bid for an improbable comeback, taking three consecutive frames just as Wilson stood one frame away from victory. However, Wilson’s exceptional win in the 18th frame sealed his maiden championship title, and the flood of emotion nearly overwhelmed him as he remained at the table.
Upon sinking the decisive ball that ensured Jones would require snookers to win, Wilson passionately exclaimed, “Come on!” towards his family in the audience. Later, he expressed regret for his emotional outburst, apologising to Jones during their post-match interviews.
Speaking to BBC presenter Hazel Irvine, Wilson said, “I’d like to apologise to Jak for that outburst, but this victory means so much to all of us,” taking the earliest opportunity to convey his remorse. He then warmly invited his family to join in celebrating the culmination of 17 days of captivating snooker action, crowning a new world champion.
Jones had aimed to become the first qualifier to seize the World Championship since Shaun Murphy’s victory in 2005. However, Wilson maintained a steady lead throughout the contest, securing his final spot by defeating Dominic Dale, Joe O’Connor, John Higgins, and David Gilbert.
Jones maintained that he never lost hope of engineering what would have been a remarkable comeback on the tournament’s final day. “I think if I’d won one more, at 17-15 he could have really started feeling the pressure, and I had a couple of little chances, but he held himself together well in the end,” said Jones.
“I just left myself with too much to do in the first session, but Kyren came out strong in that session, so he deserves it.
“I’m proud because I don’t feel like I’ve played well here at all. I’ve been playing at my B game and my C game to defeat some of the best players in the world and make it to the final, so coming so close to winning it should give me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
