WALES’ Jak Jones staged an impressive comeback in his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Stuart Bingham at the Crucible. After trailing 3-0, Jones fought back to level the score at 4-4 by the end of the evening session.
In the other semi-final, Kyren Wilson and David Gilbert were locked in a tight battle. Wilson, the last remaining seed in the tournament, fought back from deficits of 3-2 and 4-3 to finish the first session even with Gilbert in Sheffield.
Jones, who hails from Cwmbran, faced a tough start with some sloppy shots, allowing Bingham to take an early lead with a solid first frame and a break of 94 in the second. Despite missing key shots, Jones capitalised on Bingham’s errors and regained his composure after the interval. He won the first two frames after the break but Bingham responded strongly with a clinical break in the seventh to regain the lead. The match ended in a thrilling deadlock as both players traded chances before Jones secured the final frame of the night.
In the earlier match, Wilson started strongly with a break of 73 but faced setbacks as errors plagued both players. Gilbert missed a routine black, allowing Wilson to take a commanding lead. Gilbert, feeling unsettled by crowd disturbances, recovered with a century break in the fourth frame, levelling the score at 2-2. Gilbert continued to dominate with breaks of 91 and stylish snooker but faltered in the final frame of the session, enabling Wilson to compile an impressive break of 88.
Reflecting on his performance, Wilson admitted to seeking a 147 break for the crowd’s pleasure, despite his brother’s disapproval. Wilson joked about the missed opportunity but expressed satisfaction with the session’s open and attacking play, featuring several impressive breaks.
The best of 33 frames will resume on today (May 3), promising an exciting continuation of the semi-finals at this historic venue.
