LIVE BLOG: Mark Selby v Jak Jones - 2026 British Open snooker final from Cheltenham

Sunday's best of 19 frames final at The Centaur in Cheltenham will be played across two sessions (13:00BST & 19:00BST). The first to ten will collect the £100,000 first prize, and the fourth ranking title of the 2026/27 World Snooker Tour season.

Reigning UK Champion Selby - who starts as favourite - is into his 40th ranking final. The latest of his 26 crowns came only last month at the China Open.

The 43-year-old has a very impressive record in this tournament in recent years - this is his third final appearance from the last four editions of it (and he was a semi-finalist in 2025), winning the title in 2024.

Four-time world champion Selby emerged from deciding frame finishes in each of his opening three matches in Cheltenham, before varying levels of breathing space from the last 16 onwards with wins over Iulian Boiko (4-2), Jack Lisowski (5-0), and Liam Highfield (6-3).

Former World Championship runner-up Jones claimed his maiden ranking event title at the Championship League just over eight weeks ago.

En route to his third ranking final, world number 31 Jones also had to navigate deciding frame climaxes before denying former World Champion Judd Trump, 6-3, in the semi-finals.

Our live text coverage of the 2026 British Open final is below.

22:59 - JAK JONES IS THE 2026 BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION!

22:25BST - SELBY 6-9 JONES: Jones on the brink

An effort of 62 from Jones helps him to frame 15, and he's one away from the 2026 British Open title.

21:55BST - SELBY 6-8 JONES : Jones two away from glory

Championship League title holder Jones moves two in front again.

After both players missed black balls earlier in the frame - although Selby's was with the extended rest - Jones makes a break of 53 to claim frame 14.

He now needs two more frames for the biggest prize of his career to date.

21:34BST - SELBY 6-7 JONES: Selby halves the deficit

The players return after their interval and Selby closes the gap to one.

Selby made a break of 38 but landed on nothing when going into the cluster of reds.

Later in the frame, world number 31 Jones fashions 45, but misses a red down a side cushion. He seemed to hit it well, but the pockets have not been generous at The Centaur this week.

The frame is ultimately decided when Jones sinks the penultimate red but goes in-off and leaves a free ball.

Four-time World Champion Selby then does the business.

20:44BST - SELBY 5-7 JONES: Jones steals a big one

The most dramatic and important frame of the final so far as Jones heads into the final mid-session interval 7-5 up.

It looked as if Selby was going to level up for the sixth time today, but he missed a pretty routine red whilst on 66 with six reds left.

Jones counters with 45, but with all the reds now gone, he misses the yellow - but gets away with it.

After a tense passage of play, Selby escapes from a snooker on the green but leaves it on.

Jones completes a cool clearance from green to black to pinch it, and for the first time today, a player wins back-to-back frames, and there is more than a frame between the players.

20:16BST - SELBY 5-6 JONES: Welshman back in front again

The pattern in Cheltenham continues.

After Selby misses an attempted pot, Jones sinks a brilliant red to middle and proceeds to make a 65.

70 points down, Selby goes for snookers, but to no avail.

19:40BST - SELBY 5-5 JONES: Back and forth continues

Five times Jones has gone in front by a frame, and five times Selby has instantly levelled.

Selby gets in with 36 before going out of position. However, it's not long before he's back in the balls having created an opportunity, and he clears the table with exactly 100, his second century of the day.

19:24BST - SELBY 4-5 JONES: Jones wins first of the evening

The second session of the 2026 British Open final is underway, and it's a familiar theme from the afternoon's play as Jak Jones makes breaks of 44 and 30 to inch back in front by a frame.

16:33BST - SELBY 4-4 JONES: Players locked after afternoon session

The last frame would have hurt Selby, but he responds in typical fashion!

The 26-time ranking event winner compiles a contribution of 70 that essentially pegs back his opponent for the fourth time this afternoon.

Play resumes for this evening's concluding session from 19:00BST, and it's effectively a best of 11 frames affair for The Clive Everton Trophy and a £100,000 payday.

16:13BST - SELBY 3-4 JONES: Stunning clearance from Jones!

WOW. What a steal from Jak Jones, who resumes the lead of this final, for the fourth time.

After Jones takes on a risky long red and it goes horribly wrong, Selby fashions a 60 - which looks like a big lead with the balls scrappy.

HOWEVER, after later Selby goes in-off, former World Championship finalist Jones produces an incredible counter clearance of 64 to pinch it on the final pink.

15:44BST - SELBY 3-3 JONES: Levels again

...and for the third time this afternoon in Cheltenham, Selby restores parity.

The reigning UK and China Open champion started scoring with a 38 before running out of position. Selby later extends his lead to 51 points before Jones gets back into contention with two reds left.

However, 'The Jester from Leicester' sinks a long red and clears the table.

Is this final destined to go all the way?

15:13BST - SELBY 2-3 JONES: Welshman ahead again

After that protracted opening frame, this final has been a really free-flowing affair.

For the third time, Jones edges in front after breaks of 54 and 38.

14:43BST - SELBY 2-2 JONES: All-square at the mid-session interval

Safe to say, Selby has forgotten about that miss in the last frame when he had a chance to counter.

The 43-year-old gets the break-building going in frame four with a long red and goes on to make 67. However, he does miss a red into the yellow pocket with the rest to give Jones a sniff with enough points left.

After a passage of play, Jones put points on the board, but when he fails to sink a blue into the corner, he offers a concession.

2-2 going into the interval, play will resume in around 15 minutes.

14:19BST - SELBY 1-2 JONES: Underdog back in front

A big fluke from Jones on the opening red and he goes on to make 47 before missing a red to middle.

Selby is unable to punish, though, missing the very next shot, and the Championship League title holder compiles a 34 to get the job done.

14:06BST - SELBY 1-1 JONES: CENTURY FOR SELBY

Well. What a contrast in the opening two frames!

The champion here two years ago, Selby settles in with a brilliant total clearance of 139 - including a blockbuster pot on the fourth to last red.

Sheer class from the four-time World Champion, and he levels up at 1-1.

13:48BST - SELBY 0-1 JONES: Jones takes 40-minute opener

After a missed red from Jones, Selby makes the first break of the final, but goes into the pack of reds and ends up on nothing, bringing the run to a close on 27.

Moments later, Selby goes very close with a long red - but not quite exact enough - and Welshman Jones produces a fine effort of 64.

With 43 the difference but 43 on, the frame was not over; Selby pots the penultimate red but fails to get on the black and is forced into taking the blue which means he needs a snooker.

Selby lays several snookers, and eventually his opponent misses one to put the frame back in the mixer, however Jones later pots the yellow, and - after another spell of play - eventually puts the first frame on the board.

13:00BST - THE 2026 BRITISH OPEN FINAL IS UNDERWAY

11:00BST - TWO HOURS TO GO...

Selby and Jones have officially met eight times on the professional circuit, although four of those were in the behind-closed-doors Championship League (which sometimes aren’t included by statisticians), and one in the Shoot Out.

From the other three, Selby has won them all, including their most recent encounter at the Crucible earlier this year when Selby crushed Jones, 10-2, in the opening round of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.

However, Jones is in great form now, and a reigning ranking event champion himself.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 British Open snooker, visit our tournament information centre here.