Jones stuns Trump to reach British Open final against Selby
Welshman Jak Jones pulled off a surprise semi-final win over Judd Trump and will meet Mark Selby, who beat Liam Highfield, in the British Open final.
Both semi-finals of the British Open snooker tournament have been decided, setting up a final between Wales's Jak Jones and England's Mark Selby.
Jones built an early lead over Trump with breaks of 95 and 68 to go 3-1 ahead, but Trump fought back to level the match at 3-3. Jones then responded with breaks of 59 and 52 to move 5-3 in front, and after Trump failed to pot a green in a long ninth frame, Jones sealed the win.
Jones, who was runner-up at the 2024 World Championship, said he played well before the mid-session interval but began missing shots afterwards. He noted that reaching this stage of a tournament is unusual for him compared with a player like Trump.
Selby survives tough test
In the other semi-final, Selby faced fellow Englishman Liam Highfield, who was contesting his first ranking event semi-final. Highfield won the opening frame, but Selby responded with an 85 break to lead 3-2. A 56 break from Highfield brought the match level at 3-3 before Selby won three consecutive frames to close out a 6-3 victory.
The win took Selby to his 40th ranking event final. He praised Highfield's defensive play, saying he could not recall his opponent making a poor safety shot throughout the match. Selby also reflected on his early career, recalling that as a 16-year-old starting out in 1999, he would never have believed he would reach 40 ranking finals. Should he win the title, Selby would rise from fourth to second in the world rankings.
