In a far from flawless session, Mark Selby built a comfortable 7-2 lead over Jak Jones heading into the evening session. Selby struggled at times with his positional play and missed some makeable shots, but benefited from a long spell of poor form from Jones.
Selby started the match highly focused, making the most of his first opportunity with a frame-winning break of 67. He also took the second frame confidently, even though he left an easy red after a break of 46.
Jones could only add eleven points before Selby returned to the table to close out the frame.
In the third frame, Jones was on course for his first frame win but lost position on the green after a run of 54. Since Selby had already made a break of 46, the two engaged in a lengthy tactical battle on the brown.
Selby came out on top, potting the necessary balls up to pink to go 3-0 ahead. The fourth frame wasn’t error-free either, but a break of 50 was enough for the four-time world champion to reach the mid-session interval unscathed.
The pattern didn’t change after the break. Jones kept getting chances but made far too many potting errors. At one point, his pot success rate dropped to a dismal 76 percent. This allowed Selby to get away with a few mistakes of his own without being punished.
That changed in the seventh frame, which, like many others, was closely contested but ultimately went to Jones thanks to a 34 clearance up to pink.
But this didn’t spark a comeback. Selby responded with a 78, his highest break of the session, restoring his six-frame lead. However, Jones had the final say, producing a 90 - by far his best break of the day - to cut the deficit to 7-2 at the end of the session.
Chris Wakelin gives Liam Pullen no chance
On the other table, the session finished more quickly. After leading 5-4, Chris Wakelin lost the first frame of the day to Liam Pullen, but then reeled off four frames in a row before sealing the match in the 16th frame.
Pullen opened with an impressive 96, but Wakelin responded with breaks of 72, 60, and 62 to move 8-5 ahead before the interval. A series of smaller breaks then saw him take the first frame after the mid-session interval as well.
Crucible debutant Pullen, with his back against the wall, produced a superb 121 century break, but a frame later, Wakelin’s 62 was enough to secure victory.
Wakelin will face the winner of Neil Robertson and Pang Junxu in the last 16, with their first-round match set to begin this evening.