Si Jiahui denies maximum man Jak Jones to win Championship League Snooker Group Two

A two-time ranking event finalist in 2024, Si got his 2025 professional campaign underway at the behind-closed-doors invitational event at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester where he joined the competition in the second of seven ‘regular’ groups to be played over the coming weeks.

World number 13 Si finished top of the robin robin phase, winning five of his six matches, only losing to Ali Carter 3-1 in his opening fixture.

Also qualifying for the group playoffs were Carter (second), Jak Jones (third) and Chris Wakelin (fourth) who all ended up on three wins each.

Robert Milkins also notched up three wins but didn’t make the top four cut-off by virtue of having won fewer frames, although his fifth-place finish keeps him in the tournament for another day.

Ryan Day and Pang Junxu each won two matches but came sixth and seventh respectively which meant they were both eliminated from this year’s event.

In the semi-finals, Si (104 break, frame two) recovered from 1-0 and 2-1 down to defeat Wakelin 3-2 in an encounter between the two upcoming Masters debutants.

On the other table in the other semi-final tie, 2024 World Championship finalist Jones registered a run of 126 in the opening frame on his way to a 3-1 victory over Carter.

It had already been a very memorable Tuesday for Welshman Jones who compiled his first maximum 147 break in professional competition against Wakelin in his penultimate group game.

Making his second consecutive appearance in a group playoff final having lost to Hossein Vafaei in Group One last Saturday, Jones looked on course to win this group as breaks of 73 and 58 helped him build a 2-0 lead over Si.

However, the complexion of the match changed very quickly as Si rapidly produced efforts of 101 and 94 as he levelled up at 2-2 to force a deciding frame where he established an early lead before later crossing the line.

Si now joins Vafaei in the bigger-money Winners’ Group near the start of February. They will line up alongside the five further regular group winners.

Group Three starts on Wednesday in Leicester, and it looks set to be a blockbuster group as defending champion Mark Selby, reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson, and seven-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan all come to the party to play with Jones, Carter, Wakelin and Milkins.

For full tournament information on the 2025 Championship League Snooker Invitational, please visit here.