In a far from flawless session, Mark Selby established a comfortable 7-2 lead over Jak Jones going into the evening session. Selby struggled at times with his positional play and missed some makeable balls, but was able to capitalise on a long spell of poor form from Jones.
Selby started the match with great focus, seizing his first opportunity with a frame-winning break of 67. He also took the second frame confidently, even though he left a simple red after a break of 46. Jones could only add eleven points before Selby returned to the table to wrap up the frame.
Match Centre: Selby v Jones
Mark Selby: Only as good as he needs to be
In the third frame, Jones looked set to get his first frame on the board, but after a run of 54, he lost position on the green. Selby had already made a 46 break, and the two then engaged in a lengthy tactical battle on the brown. Selby came out on top, potting the necessary balls up to pink to make it 3-0. The fourth frame was also not without errors, but a break of 50 was enough for the four-time world champion to reach the mid-session interval unscathed.
The pattern of play remained the same after the break. Jones continued to get chances, but made far too many errors when potting. At one point, his pot success rate dropped to a dismal 76 per cent. 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 Jones finally took it with a 34 clearance to pink.
However, this was not the start of a comeback. Selby responded with a 78, his highest break of the session, to restore his six-frame lead. But it was Jones who had the final say, producing a 90—by far his best break of the day—to reduce the deficit to 2-7 at the end of the session.
Chris Wakelin gives Liam Pullen no chance
On the other table, the session was over much more quickly. After leading 5-4 overnight, 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.
Match Centre: Wakelin v Pullen
Pullen opened with an impressive 96, but Wakelin hit back 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 was beaten after a 62 from Wakelin. 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.