Jak Jones has recovered from a nightmare first session to battle back into contention at 11-6 behind to Kyren Wilson in the final of the World Snooker Championship.
It remains a perilous situation for the Welshman, but after losing the first session of the match 7-1, he is in a vastly better situation than he found himself earlier on Sunday afternoon.
After the battling qualities Jones has shown all tournament it is no surprise that he has kept scrapping from a nightmare position in his first Crucible final.
The Welshman had looked extremely nervous in the first session and missed a number of decent chances, while Wilson settled early and scored heavily, making it the perfect storm for a one-sided scoreline.
However, the evening session on Sunday was quite different. Wilson didn’t fade, but Jones was a vastly improved player and more like the one who beat the likes of Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham on his way to the final.
Jones won the first two frames with breaks of 75 and 52, but Wilson was far from done, knocking in efforts of 125, 60 and 122 in the next four frames.
The Silent Assassin took the next two and looked like he was wrapping up the session with three on the spin, with Wilson needing a snooker in the 17th, but the Warrior continued to battle.
It was a battle well worth fighting as he got a snooker and eventually won the frame after a long battle on the colours which produced a teeth-grinding amount of tension, finishing the session 11-6 ahead.
‘It’s not only the scoreline, it’s needing a snooker, it’s about the way the frame was won,’ said Wilson. ‘I’m proud of the way I held it together.
‘I had in my head I wanted to get to 11 after starting on seven, so target achieved.’
Jones was delighted that he is still swinging after a nightmare start and two sessions which he thought were well below par.
‘It’s a miracle I’m still in it,’ said Jones. ‘I’ve been shocking, absolutely shocking.
‘But still in the match. I’m just knackered, absolutely knackered. Get a good night’s sleep, come out flying tomorrow, things could happen.’
MORE : Kyren Wilson opens up daunting lead over Jak Jones in World Snooker Championship final
MORE : Can the Warrior halt the unlikeliest march to the Crucible throne?
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