Jones initially took a 5-4 lead in the first session against Robertson in the World Championship qualifiers. However, Robertson then won four consecutive frames to come within two frames of qualifying. Despite this, Jones fought back and secured his spot in the World Championship for the fifth time.
Reflecting on his performance, Jones expressed that the tournament always seems to bring out the best in his game. He acknowledged the challenge he faced when Robertson took the lead but maintained his determination to make a comeback. Jones highlighted his admiration for the top players and his desire to emulate their style of play.
In other matches, England’s David Gilbert defeated Xiao Guodong, while Si Jiahui made a strong comeback after initially trailing to beat Wu Yize. Joe O’Connor secured his first qualification for the World Championship by defeating Matthew Selt in an all-English clash. Iranian player Hossein Vafaei overcame an initial deficit to secure his place at the Crucible for the third consecutive year.
Pang Junxu also secured his return to the Crucible with a victory over Cao Yupeng. Despite losing, Saengkham’s performance earlier in the qualifiers may still earn him the high break prize of £15,000 for his maximum 147 break in a previous match.