Jones calls criticism of playing style 'pathetic'

Jak Jones is the ninth qualifier to reach a world final

World Championship finalist Jak Jones says criticism over his style of play is "pathetic" and "does not bother" him at all.

Jones, 30, became only the ninth qualifier to reach a Crucible final with a 17-12 win over Stuart Bingham on Saturday - a match that lasted nearly five hours longer than the other semi-final between Kyren Wilson and David Gilbert.

Both Bingham and Judd Trump - beaten by Jones in the last eight - suggested the Welshman's tactical play affected their rhythm and contributed to their defeats.

"I think they will always use that excuse," said Jones.

"They are supposed to be the best players in the world but yet they are moaning about being knocked out of their rhythm. It seems strange to me. I haven't scored particularly well but my match play has got me through.

"They just can't accept it. It's pathetic really, isn't it? The worst thing I've noticed when I'm playing them is that I feel like they want to play that game. It doesn't bother me. It is easy to blame what I am doing but it is working so I will take it."

Jones, who came into the tournament as a 200-1 outsider having had to negotiate two qualifying rounds, averaged 29.7 seconds a shot against Bingham and 28.7 seconds a shot against Trump.

However, that was only marginally slower than both 2015 winner Bingham (28.6 secs) and world number two Trump (26.6 secs), who won at the Crucible in 2019.

Should Jones triumph in Sheffield he would climb from 44th to sixth in the world rankings and also emulate fellow Welshman Terry Griffiths (1979) and England's Shaun Murphy (2005) by becoming only the third qualifier to win the world title.

Analysis - Jones has done 'nothing wrong'

Shaun Murphy, 2005 world champion speaking to BBC Sport

The same things were said about players like Peter Ebdon. It is people who don't know what they are talking about. This is top-flight professional sport and Jak Jones has to set up to beat the player in front of him.

He has done nothing wrong and people are probably a bit sore and bitter about being beaten when they feel they shouldn't have been.

It is Jak's job. His job is not to play to his opponent's strengths, it is to play to his strengths and say 'come and beat me'. Every single player Jak has played this week has been the favourite to beat him and none of them have been able to yet.