World Snooker Championship 2024 Results: Jack Jones beats Giang Anda, Mark Selby chases Joe O’Connor

Four-time world champion Mark Selby is on the verge of a shock first-round exit after Crucible debutant Joe O’Connor built a commanding 7-2 lead.

O’Connor, ranked 30th in the world, needs just three frames to advance to the last 16 when play resumes on Monday.

Saturday’s 2023 champion Luca Brecel’s huge upset loss to David Gilbert will be another big shock.

Other Wales qualifiers jack jones Defeated 11th seed China with a great performance Jang Anda 10-4.

Jones, last year’s quarterfinalist, is ranked 44th in the world and had to play two qualifying rounds, but his victory meant that two seeded players were eliminated in the two matches they finished.

Selby, champion in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021, could be another seed to fall after a tough first session with fellow Leicester player and close friend O’Connor.

The match concludes on Monday (14:30 BST) with O’Connor, the only player making his debut in this year’s tournament, looking for a big win.

O’Connor was in the crowd watching and cheering as Selby won his third world title and said the draw was a “dream” for him.

The pair shared the first four frames, but breaks of 122, 67 and 101 gave O’Connor a three-frame lead. Further breaks of 74 seconds and 61 seconds saw the 28-year-old win each of the final five frames of the session.

Selby lost in last year’s world finals and hasn’t been eliminated in the first round since 2018, but will need an impressive comeback on Monday.

Jones is one of six Welsh players to take part in the 2024 tournament and could face compatriot Mark Williams in the last 16 if the three-time world champion defeats China’s Shi Jiahui.

The first session of Jones vs. Chang took place on Saturday morning, but only seven of the scheduled nine frames were completed. One frame took him 38 minutes, the next frame took him 32 minutes, and then he took 28 minutes. Sunday took longer again.

After a long safety battle, Jones finally prevailed on the 11th frame of 37 minutes, coming within two frames of victory.

Chan made a match-best break of 95 in the 13th frame, but it wasn’t enough to stop Jones.

“I played badly in the first session,” Chan said. “It was my first time as a seeded player and I wanted to play well, but I put too much pressure on myself. Jack didn’t play badly, he built his breaks really well, and everything was better than me. It was.”

In the Sunday afternoon session (14:30 BST), world number 2 and 2019 champion judd trump The remaining games will be against Iran. Hossein Vafai The English held a 6-3 advantage.

Another former winner is Sean Murphy launch a campaign against China Liu Haotian It’s on table 2.

The evening session begins at 19:00 and will see the conclusion of two matches in the first round.of england Ali Carter They hold a 5-4 lead against Scotland. stephen maguire meanwhile tom ford 6-3 against Ricky Walden.