Welshman Jack Jones beats Mark Selby to win British Open title
Welsh snooker player Jack Jones defeated England's Mark Selby 10:6 in the British Open final, claiming his second ranking title of the season and of his career. Jones also beat Latvia's Artemijs Žižins on his way to the title.
Welsh snooker player Jack Jones defeated England's Mark Selby 10:6 in the final of the British Open ranking tournament. It is his second ranking title this season and of his entire career, following an earlier triumph at the Championship League event.
A tight battle down to the final frame
The final was closely contested throughout. During the first session, both players traded frames featuring notable breaks, finishing level at 4:4. In the second session Selby briefly narrowed the gap and even edged ahead at points, but Jones held his nerve and gradually built a lead to 9:6. In the deciding 16th frame, Selby had several chances to force a decider, but the Englishman could not convert them, and Jones sealed the 10:6 victory.
Latvian player beaten on the way to the final
On his path to the final, the Welshman also defeated Latvian player Artemijs Žižins. For winning the tournament, Jones earned 100,000 ranking points along with a matching prize sum, rising to 22nd place in the world tour rankings. He will skip the upcoming English Open, as he is expecting the arrival of a new family member.
Despite the final defeat, Selby's season continues to go well — he had earlier won the China Open and reached the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open. This run has lifted him to second place in the world tour rankings, overtaking Neil Robertson and Yu Yize.
The season continues this week with the English Open, where Artemijs Žižins will face English player Shaun Murphy in the first round.
