Jak Jones learned the hard way about snooker rage with broken hand

Jak Jones has vowed never to punch a table again after suffering a broken hand earlier this season in a moment of snooker rage.

The 2024 World Championship finalist is back at the Crucible after coming through qualifying last week, impressively beating Luca Brecel in the last round.

He has been given a seriously difficult test in his opener on the main stage, taking on four-time world champion Mark Selby, starting on Wednesday morning.

The Welshman is in much better shape now than he was earlier this season, when he was forced to withdraw from two events due to a broken hand.

The 32-year-old revealed that the injury was caused by punching his practice table back in November, something he has learned never to do again.

Things could have been much worse than they were, thankfully, but a broken hand is far from ideal for both a snooker player and a dad of a young child.

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‘I got the news straight away that it had stayed in line, the break,’ said Jones. ‘So I just had to try and not do anything silly. Although I was carrying my baby quite a lot, so that was painful.

‘But, yeah it healed quite good. I got back a lot sooner than I thought, actually a couple of weeks sooner. So I still get pains now and again, but it’s all good.’

On the frustrations of life on the snooker tour, the world number 19 said: ‘Every player feels it, whether they show it or not, they still feel it.

‘So I think it’s irrelevant if they show it, really, as long as it’s not disrespectful to the opponent. But a lot of people say that I look quite calm and composed, but personally, I don’t think I am at times. Obviously, the game gets on top of all players at some points.

‘But, yeah, I’ve learned. I’d never punched a table before that. So I’ve learned the hard way. I’ll never do it again.’

Jones also overcame an issue with his practice base, not that it was poor, but the club he was based in was too busy to concentrate properly.

‘I had a good club to play in. It was just an unbelievably busy club,’ he said.
‘So, it was just extremely difficult to practice in there the way I wanted.

‘Most clubs struggle these days, but the one in my hometown of Cwmbran, Reds, just does unbelievable.

‘So it just wasn’t quite suitable for me practising. Then I just wasn’t putting the hours in. But I’ve got my own room now, so I can’t complain anymore.’

Jones’ passage to the Crucible final in 2024 as a qualifier was out of the blue and it remains his only ranking final so far, with just one semi-final run since then.

He remains not entirely sure how it happened two years ago, admitting that he wasn’t even playing his best stuff as he beat Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui, Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham.

‘I don’t know. I think my safety was obviously really good throughout the tournament. My scoring wasn’t very good,’ he said.

‘I don’t remember my long part being very good either. But I battled through every match, made quite a lot of good clearances, important clearances and stuff like that. So, it was more like a solid performance.

‘It wasn’t a performance that I felt good from, but knowing that I’ve done that, not playing my best, that gives me belief and confidence. So, it’s a good thing.’

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