Who is Jak Jones? The snooker star on the cusp of a shock Crucible title triumph

Wales’ Jak Jones is one more win away from becoming possibly the biggest shock winner of the world snooker championship, ever. A 150/1 longshot at the start of this year’s blue riband event, the 30-year-old qualifier had never previously reached a professional final of any description, although there were clues to his Crucible pedigree 12 months ago when he made the last eight on his debut.

We take a look at the ups and downs of Jones’ career to date and how he has continued to make progress season on season in recent times.

It perhaps all began for Jones whilst playing pool on holiday in Corfu. By chance, former world number eight Darren Morgan was on honeymoon there at the same time and was impressed with what he saw from Jones. He encouraged the youngster to take up snooker, which he did, and with Morgan’s guidance, he began to improve and reap rewards.

In a 2007 article with the South Wales Argus, Jones said: “I want to become a pro and be world champion."

Two years later, Jones reached the final of the Junior Pot Black competition, losing to Ross Muir in the title match played at the Crucible. Later in the same year, Jones made the final of a Pontins International Open Series event; a prestigious amateur circuit with a pathway to the professional tour.

However, he earned his professional stripes in 2010 when he won the European Under-19 Snooker Championship held in Malta after a 6-4 victory over Anthony McGill in the final. Luca Brecel had claimed the same title the previous year.

Back then, new professionals were only guaranteed a one-season tour card. As a 16-year-old, Jones struggled, winning just one full ranking match and earning a meagre 1,300 in prize money. He was relegated at the end of the season.

For the next two seasons, Jones played on the PTC circuit as an amateur. In 2012/13 he navigated the EBSA Play-Offs and achieved promotion back to the sport’s top tier, however, the 2013/14 term proved to be a disaster as he lost all 16 matches he played in.

In his second term back, he managed to pick up a few wins but saved his best until last as he reached the final round of qualifying for the world championship. His hopes were dashed by Ryan Day, though, and the run was not enough to see him avoid the relegation trap door.

Back on the secondary tier, Jones won the 2016 European Amateur Snooker Championship in Poland with a 7-4 final win against fellow countryman Jamie Clarke. This success booked a return to the top flight.

He finally began making meaningful progress in the 2016/17 season, recording personal bests with last 16 runs at the English Open and Shoot Out, although he couldn’t build on those foundations in season two and was relegated for the third time. However, he immediately bounced back at the first possible avenue by winning six matches in the opening event of 2018 Q School. He has remained on the professional circuit since.

Jones really started to feel part of the cast in 2018/19 during which he found consistency with five last 32 appearances and over £30k in prize money. The next season, he improved again with two last 16 finishes and over £50k in prizes, enough to keep his tour card through the one-year list.

Further new ground was made in the following two seasons - a quarter-final in the 2020 English Open, and a semi-final in the 2022 Gibraltar Open, which prior to this year’s Crucible was Jones’ only last four experience in a ranking event.

He began the 2022/23 season with a new high ranking of 41. He reached two last 16s but comfortably trumped that by winning three qualifying matches to reach the Crucible and the main draw of the world championship for the first time. Jones enjoyed an incredible run on debut, defeating seed players Ali Carter and Neil Robertson to feature in the last eight where he led Mark Allen 9-8 before bowing out 13-10.

Up until now, Jones had not capitalised on that momentum in the current 2023/24 campaign with just one last 16 to show, but once again, he is saving his best until last in the biggest event of all.

The £200,000 he is already guaranteed for getting to the final puts him in the elite world’s top 16 - another new landmark in his career.