World Snooker Championship 2018: Jamie Jones recovers to beat Shaun Murphy 10-9

World number 51 Jamie Jones recovered from 8-5 down to beat number eight seed Shaun Murphy 10-9 in the first round of the World Championship.

Jones trailed 5-4 overnight but quickly levelled, only for 2005 champion Murphy to score a 59 and two stylish tons in a three-frame burst.

Welshman Jones rallied to make it 8-8, notching two breaks of 50-plus.

Although Murphy pinched an error-strewn 17th frame, Jones responded with a 124 clearance and then took the decider.

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Jones feels pressure

Jones, who plays Englishman Kyren Wilson in round two, missed his first opportunity in the 19th frame, but got over the line after being gifted a second opening when Murphy missed a simple red.

"I played really well in patches," Jones said. "Shaun got into his stride to go 8-5 up and I was shut out of the match.

"The 100 to go 9-9 put me on the front foot but when I missed a chance in the final frame I thought it was going to be a nightmare.

"I think it is my best victory. I have never faced pressure like I have today so I am so pleased to hold myself together and come through. It gives me loads of confidence."

The 30-year-old from Neath joins Mark Allen in the last 16, the Masters champion having earlier secured a 10-5 win over Crucible debutant Liam Highfield.

Jamie Jones is making his third appearance at the World Championship

Northern Ireland's Allen led 6-3 overnight, but Highfield opened with his second break of 99 in the match.

Allen, 32, responded with three successive frames, knocking in his seventh half-century break en route to victory.

"I didn't score as heavily as I would have liked, but I think I did enough to win," said the world number 16.

"It was a good match even though it was not the most free-flowing. Liam pushed me all the way and there were lots of close frames."

Qualifier Highfield, from Stoke-on-Trent, added: "I really enjoyed it and felt comfortable, but Mark played really well and deserved his win."

Allen now plays world number 22 Joe Perry, who was a shock winner against defending champion Mark Selby in round one.

Mark Allen will face Joe Perry in round two after his 10-5 win over Liam Highfield

Elsewhere...

Birthday boy Barry Hawkins beat fellow Englishman Stuart Carrington 10-7 in a late-night finish.

World number six Hawkins, 39, has a remarkable World Championship record having been runner-up in 2013 and a semi-finalist in three of the four years since.

The London-born, Kent-based left-hander held a 5-3 lead after a cagey first session. Two breaks of 50-plus saw Hawkins take control at 7-3, but Grimsby's Carrington once again hit back to within a frame.

Hawkins finally broke his opponent's resolve by winning a 55-minute 14th frame to go 8-6 to the good and went on to set up a meeting with Chinese qualifier Lyu Haotian.

World number three Ding Junhui began his quest for a first Crucible title by battling back from 2-0 down for a 6-3 advantage against fellow Chinese player Xiao Guodong going into Tuesday's second and final session.

Englishman Ricky Walden raced into a 4-1 lead over Belgium's Luca Brecel thanks to breaks of 68, 105 and 90 and maintained that three-frame gap for a 6-3 overnight lead.

Analysis

Former Masters champion Alan McManus told BBC Sport:

"Jamie Jones has the game to perform under pressure. He is one of the guys you would want in your corner. Even at 8-5 down he fancied it. He's like a dog with a bone.

"I vividly remember seeing him in qualifying a few years ago and he was 9-4 down to Joel Walker and when he got back to 9-6 I was convinced he would win 10-9 and he did. I am so impressed with how he fights.

"Shaun Murphy has some stuff to work on. For how good a player he is I think he can get blase because he finds it that easy. He makes the odd wrong decision partly because he is so talented.

"He's a marquee player and he will be back but he will be disappointed with the way he lost because he had the chances."

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