1 week ago
Should Jak Jones declare nan World Snooker Championship connected Monday nighttime astatine nan Crucible by beating Kyren Wilson, erstwhile victor Shaun Murphy believes it would beryllium "one of nan biggest shocks successful sport".
Jones, classed 44th successful nan world earlier nan start, is bidding to go conscionable nan 4th qualifier successful history to declare nan title.
Alex Higgins was nan first successful 1972 - earlier nan tourney moved to Sheffield - past Jones' Welsh compatriot Terry Griffiths successful 1979 and Shaun Murphy, who was nan past subordinate to execute that feat successful 2005.
"If his isn't (the biggest daze of all) past I consciousness nan digit points straight astatine maine backmost successful 2005; nary 1 was bigger odds, I was surely little ranked," Murphy told 5 Live.
"But I've sewage it down that I deliberation if Jak Jones wins this Championship it will beryllium not conscionable nan biggest daze successful snooker of each time, but 1 of nan biggest shocks successful athletics astir nan world ever.
"That's nan magnitude of nan accomplishment we're seeing truthful far.
"This feline sewage present past year, made his debut and reached nan quarters. He's past gone missing for an full season, it's arsenic if he doesn't cognize there's 20 different events to play successful astir nan world.
"He turned up present again and he's conscionable gone done nan tie very serenely, looks wholly composed and I conscionable deliberation alien things person happened."
Jones, 30, hit Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui, world number 2 Judd Trump and past 2015 champion Stuart Bingham 17-12 successful a gruelling semi-final.
Wilson, 32, claimed a comfortable 17-11 triumph complete David Gilbert to scope his 2nd World Championship last and now stands successful Jones' measurement arsenic they hole for Sunday's opening sessions.
"I've known Kyren Wilson each my life, we travel from nan aforesaid cervix of nan woods - I'm very fond of him and his family, they're lovely," Murphy added.
"But I've conscionable sewage this sneaky emotion that Jak Jones is going to do it."
