What you need to know as Jak Jones starts World Snooker Championship final
Today marks what is undeniably the biggest day of Jak Jones' snooker career so far.
In less than 48 hours time, on Monday evening, the 30-year-old from Cwmbran could be world snooker champion.
The crowning glory for any player, it would be especially impressive having done it the hard way, coming through qualifying to make it to The Crucible in the first place.
It will not be easy, though, as he takes on former finalist Kyren Wilson. He will be determined to go a step further than he managed in 2020 when lost out to Ronnie O'Sullivan.
So what can we expect from the match, which will be played across two days and possibly late into Monday night?
What time does the final start? And where is being held? Jak Jones begins his battle against the number 12 seed Kyren Wilson at 1pm on Sunday.
The Welshman got here after beating Stuart Bingham by 17 points to 12. Although at times it looked like the former world champion might stage a comeback, Jones generally looked in command of proceedings.
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Whether he can exert the same control again with the pressure cranked up even further remains to be seen.
However, after an often underwhelming season so far, Jones has found a way to bring his best performance on the biggest stage his sport has to offer - The Crucible theatre in Sheffield.
Wilson comes into Sunday's showdown off the back of an even more comprehensive win in his semi-final against Dave Gilbert, who he beat 17-11.
How long will the final last? Play gets underway early on Sunday afternoon but - to steal an analogy from another sport - it will be a marathon, not a sprint.
The winner will be crowned on Monday night, after 35 frames. That essentially means it is the first to 18.
What are Jak's chances like? Having been in the final before, Kyren Wilson is undeniably the favourite. Being able to draw on the previous experience of playing arguably the biggest match in the snooker calendar gives Wilson a clear edge, as does the fact he came into the tournament as a seeded player.
If Jones wins, he would be only the third player ever to claim the title after coming through qualifying. It was last done by Shaun Murphy all the way back in 2005.
However, the 30-year-old from Cwmbran should not be underestimated.
Regardless of how today's match plays out, Jones has already guaranteed himself a spot in the world's top 16 for the start of next season.
As well as defeating Bingham in the semis, he also beat world number 2 and 2019 champion Judd Trump at the quarter-final stage.
It is fair to say he has defied the odds throughout.
Has a Welshman won before? As impressive as Jones has been so far in Sheffield, he would not be the first Welshman to lift the world championship trophy.
He would, however, join the illustrious company of three-times winner Mark Williams.
As well as being just the eighth player to win the championship three or more times, Williams was also the oldest champion since fellow countryman Ray Reardon in 1978.
If Jones wins, there would be huge celebrations both at The Crucible and in his hometown of Cwmbran.
They would have to go a long way to be more memorable than Williams' after he was last crowned world champion, though. Ahead of that tournament, in 2018, he promised if he won he would hold his victory press conference naked and was a man of his word, sporting just a towel as he talked to the media.
Jones still has a long way to go before he even contemplates his own celebrations. Before that, there is a captivating match in store.
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