Jak Jones produced the biggest result of the British Open semi-finals, beating Judd Trump to move into the final against Mark Selby. For Jones, it was another reminder that he can handle pressure at the sharp end of a ranking event, even if he is not used to being in this position.
The match had the feel of a contest that kept turning. Jones built a 3-1 lead, saw Trump level it at 3-3, then pushed on again to go 5-3 in front before completing the win. It was a performance that mixed early control with enough resilience to recover when the momentum shifted.
Jones holds his nerve in a changing match
Jones admitted he started well before the interval, but also accepted that his standard dipped after that as he began missing a few. That is often the danger in a match of this size: once an opponent like Trump finds a way back, the pressure becomes immediate.
Jones also said he cannot say he is in this position a lot, which is why the experience felt different for him compared with Trump. That is the kind of honest assessment that fits the performance. He was not claiming perfection, just enough composure to get over the line when it mattered.
Selby keeps climbing
In the other semi-final, Selby beat Liam Highfield 6-3 to reach his 40th ranking event final. It was a hard-fought win, and Selby made clear afterwards that Highfield did not make it easy.
Selby praised Highfield's safety play, saying it was incredible and that he could not remember him playing a poor safety shot throughout the match. That matters because it shows the level of control Selby needed just to get through to the title match.
There is also a bigger picture for Selby. If he wins the title, he could move from fourth to second in the rankings. For a player of his experience, that is a significant reward, and it gives Sunday's final added weight.
A final with real meaning
Jones comes into the final having already shown he can beat top opposition under pressure, while Selby arrives with experience, control and a chance to make a major move in the rankings. It is a final that brings together two very different stories.
Selby reflected on the scale of his own career milestone by saying that when he was starting out as a 16-year-old kid in 1999, he would have said there was no chance of reaching 40 ranking finals. He added that he would have been happy to get to just one or two. That is the sort of perspective that underlines how far he has come — and why the final now has a clear sense of occasion.
Jones, meanwhile, has already done the hard part by beating Judd Trump. Now he gets the chance to turn a surprise run into a title.
