Fine margins decide latest group winners at Championship League Snooker

Jak Jones and Iulian Boiko - the highest ranked players in their respective groups - came out on top to qualify for stage two of this £328,000 ranking tournament. The last 32 will be played later this month in Leicester.

On the main table in Group 22, former world championship finalist Jones helped break off the action as he registered runs of 78, 87, and 56 in a 3-0 win over teenage rookie Michael Larkov.

World number 32 Jones - who has yet to appear in another final since featuring in the 2024 Crucible title tie - returned a few hours later for his second match against Alfie Burden. Despite fashioning efforts of 112 and 107, Jones had to settle with a share of the spoils as reigning Shoot Out champion Burden salvaged a 2-2 draw.

Burden - who drew his opening fixture against Oliver Lines - stayed on to face Larkov and score yet another 2-2 draw, leaving him undefeated on three points, but out of qualifying contention, the same as Larkov.

Going into the final fixture of the group between Jones and Lines, the latter was bottom of the pool with just one point but could still win the section with a 3-0 victory. Jones only needed a frame to have top spot for keeps.

Lines was on course to complete the big turnaround as he went 2-0 up to force what was a de facto deciding frame, but Jones eventually got the job done in the third frame with the aid of an 80 break.

A run of 68 helped Lines win the fourth and the match 3-1, a result that saw him end second in the group - on four points, the same amount as Jones, but Jones (+1) was one frame better off than Lines (0) in the frame difference column.

In fact, all four players were separated by just a point; Larkov had four points but with a minus 1 frame difference, while Burden - despite not losing a match, although not winning one either - finishing bottom with three points.

There was an even tighter winning method on table two in Group 4 as Iulian Boiko pipped fellow youngster Lan Yuhao on a highest break tiebreaker that was settled by just five points.

Both Boiko and Lan defeated non-tour card holders Ian Martin 3-0, and Joshua Thomond 3-1, meaning when they faced each other in the final fixture of the pool, they were on six points each and both had a frame difference of plus five.

A win for either cueist would win them the group, and it looked like 17-year-old Lan was going to achieve that as he crafted contributions of 51 and 85 in establishing a 2-0 lead.

However, Boiko - a semi-finalist at last season's Snooker Shoot Out - knew that he could still win the group if he took the next two frames. And that's exactly what the 20-year-old Ukrainian did (54 break, frame three) to get a 2-2 draw.

With Boiko and Lan both on seven points, both on plus five frame difference, and having drawn against each other, the deciding factor was whoever made the highest break during the day.

That went the way of Boiko who constructed a 90 in his match with Martin, compared to Lan's best of 85.

The Championship League continues on Saturday with reigning champion Stephen Maguire starting his title defence. The victor from two years ago Ali Carter is also in action in the other group.