PTC Grand Finals - Day 2

Jamie Jones who recorded a shock defeat over John Higgins
this afternoon (not my picture)

Wales’ Jamie Jones caused the biggest upset of the PTC Grand Finals so far as he defeated reigning World Champion John Higgins after a final frame decider this afternoon. The world number 42 lost a lengthy opening frame before he levelled the scores in frame two. Higgins made it 2-1 with a break of 123 and looked set for the win after making it 3-1 in the next frame. However the man from Neath fought back to win the next two frames and after a safety error from Higgins in the seventh, jones kept his composure to secure his most momentous win to date and book his place in the last 16.

Ding Junhui overcame Ben Woolaston in the day’s first match as he booked his place in the last 16 with a 4 frames to 2 win. Ding won an opening scrappy frame and took the next two with centaury breaks to make it 3-0 but Woolaston, the winner of PTC Event 3 won the fourth and fifth to make it 3-2. However Din’s 98 break in the sixth secured the victory. The final match of the afternoon session, which was the first last 16 game of the tournament, saw Stephen Lee defeat Michael Holt 4-1. Holt won the first frame but Trowbridge’s Lee secured the next four frames to secure the convincing win.

Jack Lisowski met a recently out-of-form Neil Robertson in the evening session but it was not a match for the purists as neither player was firing on all cylinders. In a tense first frame Lisowski managed to force a re-spotted black after snookering Roberston, but the Australian won the tactical battle and managed to sink the black under pressure. Despite Robertson making regular mistakes, Lisowski was unable to capitalise on them and although he did win the fourth frame, found himself on the end of a 4-1 defeat. The final match of the day saw Joe Perry secure a 4-2 win over Graeme Dott to book a place in the quarter-finals against Robertson, which will take place on Saturday.

Tomorrow’s schedule sees the completion of the last 16 Stephen Maguire taking on Mark King at 12pm which will be followed by Mark Selby v Ding Junhui, a repeat of the Welsh Open final which Ding was victorious in, a few weeks ago. The other afternoon match features Judd Trump, who finished top of the PTC order of merit, against Xiao Guodong who is playing with a broken hand. At 7pm it’s Andrew Higginson against Jamie Jones with the day’s play completed with an exciting looking match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ricky Walden.