Champion of Champions: Mark Allen turns 0-3 deficit against Jak Jones – defending champion in the semi-finals in Bolton

Jones, who took part in the 14th edition of the Champion of Champions for the first time, had a much better start to the group final with Allen on Monday.

The Welshman shone, among other things, with a century break (137), his third of the day. At the start he had already conjured up two centuries on the snooker table in a 4-2 win over Gary Wilson.

Allen, tournament winner in 2020 and 2023, reduced the score to 1:3 before the interval – and suddenly pulled away after the break. Five frames in a row went to the Northern Irishman, and he played his first century break of the game, a 104 clearance.

Jones came back thanks to his next century break (104). Ultimately, however, Allen, who had previously defeated the Brazilian Igor Figueiredo 4-2, was happy about reaching the semi-finals again.

Defending champion Mark Allen is again in the semi-finals.

First with frustration, then with speed

“When the score was 3-0, I was frustrated with the way I was playing and tried to increase my tempo a little,” Allen said in a post-match interview with ITV.

Against Jones he “just fought for my confidence and then, as I said, increased the tempo a little bit. I felt like I played some good things after that.”

Final on Sunday

The Champion of Champions is an invitational tournament with 16 professionals divided into four groups. Each group plays two knockout games in the afternoon before the two winners determine the semi-finalist in the group final in the evening.

In addition to defending champion Allen and vice world champion Jones, World Cup champion Kyren Wilson, world number one Judd Trump and seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan are among those qualified. The final will take place next Sunday.

Ding beats world champion Wilson with two centuries at the end