Snooker: Surprise name reaches British Open final - Trump's decline continues

The second semi-final at snooker's British Open brought a big surprise, as Judd Trump had to taste defeat against Welshman Jak Jones, who's only ranked 31st in the world. Trump recently lost his world number one spot to Zhao Xintong, but defeated him soundly 5-1 yesterday to raise hopes of a resurgence of form.

Jones had the better of the early exchanges though, leaving Trump on 0 points in the opening frame. Judd did get one opportunity to strike, but he floundered and potted the white ball.

In the second frame the Welsh challenger continued to impress, rising from 46-1 down to battle back and take a 2-0 lead. Trump showed his quality in the third though, taking a quick frame thanks to a solid break of 77 points.

The final frame before the break brought Jones back to winning ways thanks to a break of 68, meaning the break began with the Welshman leading 3-1 - sporting a potting percentage of 96% along the way. An upset looked to be on the cards.

However, Trump rallied after the break, taking the following two frames in quick succession to level the scores. A break of 59 that required both skill and tactical mindfulness brought Jones back into the lead 4-3.

The nerves began to show for Jones, but Trump wasn't immune to the pressure either, gifting his opponent 6 points due to clipping the pink. Both players had chances to take the frame, but neither could convert in a nervy affair.

Jones was the first to receive a second pop at the cherry, and he duly converted to put the frame almost beyond Trump. Some struggle ensued, but eventually the Welshman was just a frame away from victory.

Although his placement as rank 31st in the world might not show it, Jones has been through a lot during his career, even reaching the World Championship final a couple of years back. The 9th frame required all the experience both players had, as both showed their best and their worst.

Jones thought he'd fluffed his lines after a miss on a short-ranged red, but Trump returned the favour with the final green. The Welshman duly converted to take the match 6-3, earning himself a date with Mark Selby tomorrow at 13:00 British time. Selby earned his final spot by defeating Liam Highfield 6-3.

Below you can find all the results from snooker's British Open.













Source: TNT Sports