An emotional Kyren Wilson claimed his first world title with a nervy 18-14 victory over Jak Jones at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The 32-year-old led 15-10 heading into Monday’s concluding session and moved to the brink of victory at 17-11.
But Welsh qualifier Jones tenaciously reeled off three consecutive frames, before a pumped up Wilson shouted out and burst into tears as he sealed his victory.
“I would like to say sorry to Jak for that outburst but it does mean so much to us all. My mum and dad have remortgaged and sacrificed their whole lives to get me here,” Wilson said on Two.
“My brother has and my wife. The list goes on and on because it is a massive team effort.”
The Englishman came into the tournament under the radar after an underwhelming campaign, during which he has dealt with challenging family issues away from the table.
However, he proved a deserved winner of the £500,000 top prize after producing arguably the best snooker of his career over the 17-day event, which is regarded as the sport’s ultimate test.
While there was no fairytale conclusion for Jones, the quiet Welshman – who came into the tournament as a 200-1 outsider – has won plenty of admirers for his superb matchplay and wonderful temperament.
And there will also be a place for him alongside the game’s elite when the rankings are revised this month, with Jones climbing from 44th to 14th in the world as a result of his stunning journey to the final – which saw him come through two qualification matches and spend 22 hours longer in action than his opponent.
More to follow.
