By Gareth James
Jamie Jones has qualified for the World Snooker Championship after ending a 20-year attendance at the tournament for former world champion Neil Robertson.
Weshman Jones stormed to a in the final round of World Championship qualifying, meaning Robertson will miss out on the Crucible for the first time in two decades.
Jones beat the 42-year-old Australian, who won the title in 2010, 10-9 after managing a break of 60 in the decider that was enough to take him through for the sixth time.
Robertson last missed out on the Crucible in 2004 but a desperate season, in which he has reached just one tour semi-final, sent him out of the world’s top 16 and into the qualifying stages.
Robertson had looked set to pull away and book his place in Thursday’s first-round draw after winning four frames in a row to lead 8-5.
JUDGEMENT DAY: PART TWO!
Neil Robertson vs Jamie Jones headlines a cracking day of Snooker 😍
Hossein Vafaei, Ryan Day and Si Jiahui are also amongst the names in action.
Watch LIVE and FREE on our YouTube channel from 11am! 🔥#CazooWorldChampionship | @CazooHelp
— WST (@WeAreWST) April 17, 2024
But Jones responded by reeling off the next three and went on to claim his first win over Robertson after heavy defeats in all seven of their previous meetings.
Jones said: “Neil has buried me every time I’ve played him, so I haven’t got good memories of playing him before but I stuck with him.
“I don’t know what it is about this tournament but there is something that just brings out the best in me.”
Last year’s surprise semi-finalist Si Jiahui will be one to avoid in Thursday’s first-round draw after he beat Chinese compatriot Wu Yize 10-4.
Another former semi-finalist, Dave Gilbert, beat Xiao Guodong 10-6 and Hossein Vafaei beat China’s Jiang Jun 10-5.
Neil Robertson stunned in World Championship qualifying by Jamie Jones.
First ever win for the Welshman over the Aussie and it's a big' un.https://t.co/27uxqAXX7O
— Phil Haigh (@philhaigh_) April 17, 2024