Jones stuns Murphy with big fightback

SNOOKER: Former Crucible champion falls in last-frame decider

World No 51 Jamie Jones stunned former champion Shaun Murphy with a 10-9 victory at the Crucible yesterday.

Welshman Jones dumped the 2005 winner out of the Betfred World Championship, holding his nerve to seal the deciding frame 72-1.

The 30-year-old turned the tide late yesterday afternoon with a superlative 124 break in the penultimate frame to take the match the distance.

The Neath native then kept it together to ensure he despatched the current world No 8, booking a second-round clash with Kyren Wilson.

Jones rallied from 8-5 down to complete a remarkable comeback, adding another impressive scalp, having already beaten Liang Wenbo 10-0 in qualifying.

“I played really well in patches,” Jones said. “Shaun got into his stride to go 8-5 up and I was shut out of the match.

“The 100 to go 9-9 put me on the front foot but when I missed a chance in the final frame I thought it was going to be a nightmare.

“I think it is my best victory. I have never faced pressure like I have today so I am so pleased to hold myself together and come through. “It gives me loads of confidence.” Mark Allen saw off Crucible debutant Liam Highfield 10-5 to move into the second round.

The Masters champion turned his 6-3 overnight lead into a relatively straight- forward victory, even though Highfield produced a 99 break in yesterday’s opening frame.

Allen then rattled through the next three frames, including a seventh half-century break as he secured the victory.

The 32-year-old will next meet Joe Perry in the second round, after the world No 22 pulled off a shock victory over defending champion Mark Selby on the opening day of the tournament.

“I didn’t score as heavily as I would have liked but I did enough to win,” Allen told the BBC.

“It was a good match even though it was not the most free-flowing.

“Liam pushed me all the way and there were lots of close frames.”

Highfield admitted a missed brown in the second frame yesterday proved the turning point in his defeat.

“The brown was really tough and, had that gone in, then maybe it would have been 6-5 and a different match,” Highfield said on the BBC.

World No 3 Ding Junhui battled back from 2-0 down against fellow Chinese star Xiao Guodong to take a 6-3 advantage into today’s second session.

Picture: Getty Images. Jamie Jones, left, is congratulated by Shaun Murphy after winning the deciding frame.

caption here Mark Allen: straightforward 10-5 victory over Liam Highfield.