In the welsh Open qualifying round, Jamie Jones finally defeated Zhou Yuelong 4-3 with a high-quality performance after a tricky start, locking in a regular spot. Jones' first-round opponent at the Welsh Open was Jimmy Robertson.
Jones is looking forward to and welcoming the return of the fans, believing wales have deep snooker soil where the game will be very atmospheric.
We spoke with Jones about next week's Welsh Open, the rest of the season, the World Championship qualifiers and his training preparations for the London Marathon in October.
WST: Jamie, are you looking forward to the Welsh Open after the fans return?
"In Wales, snooker is a very important part of people's lives. Snooker Club is also of all types and has everything you need. There will be a lot of people coming from Nice next week to see my game, but the game is more than that. They love snooker and want to see as many players as possible. That's why the Welsh Open always gets so much support. We've been running games behind closed doors for the last year and it will make sense for all fans and players to properly return to normalcy. ”
"Jimmy Robertson was my practice partner growing up, so I'm looking forward to playing with him as well. I know the game against him will be open and free, so it's a game that's good for both of us. I think it's also a good thing for people who watch from home. If you're lucky, maybe we can all play some high scores and it's going to be a good game. ”
WST: Was it a pleasure to beat Zhou Yuelong in the Welsh Open qualifiers?
"As far as the current situation is concerned, this is a very good result. Now every game is very important to me. If I lose, the rankings don't move forward. The first round of the game is very important. I see Zhou Yuelong as a player of the same level as Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong. I was quickly behind 0:2 at the start of the game and he looked very strong. It felt good to snatch the innings back from him. I also got good points in the decider, so I was very happy. ”
WST: At the start of the season, you lost four times in a row in the first round and were out in the first round of the Champions League. Still, you're ranked 38th in the world. What do you think of the ranking at the end of the season?
"I did well in my first season and got a lot of bonuses, so I'm probably a little bit overweight now. If there are no more bonuses at the end of the season, I will have a lot of bonuses to deduct next year. I don't want that false sense of security. This year's race form came a bit slowly, but it wasn't because of a lack of preparation. It's just that things didn't go as I wanted. Towards the end of the season, I felt good. ”
"One day I said to my girlfriend that after every failure in the past, I was in trouble and for a few days I hardly wanted to do anything. Now that I can accept defeat with confidence, I will do my best to achieve my goals. If this time it doesn't go the way I envisioned, there will be good results next time. My attitude has not wavered and I have put the same effort into every event. The snooker movement is too tough for me to keep upset with myself. You have to hope that everything will get better. ”
WST: You've had a good record at the World Championships, advancing to the final four times and reaching the quarter-finals once. How do you feel before this year's World Championship qualifiers start?
"Before the World Championship qualifiers, I still have a few games to play to prepare for the most important qualifiers. I can often achieve good results in qualifying, so hopefully I can prepare for the World Championship qualifiers and I'm really looking forward to it. I think I can play better in longer innings. In a short-term game of seven innings and four wins, if you start badly, you will be easily suppressed later. My style of play is slower, so short-term games will be difficult for me. This is something I'm definitely going to fix. ”
"I love going to Sheffield. In qualifying, it was a thrilling match after a thrill for every player trying to make it to the right end. I love that every year in March and April, when the climate is mild and all eyes are focused on snooker, all eyes are on the arrival of that great moment. You'll love to be a part of that glorious atmosphere. Last year was good, with some spectators able to get in, but I'm sure it will be fine this year. When Rob Walker greeted the players and spectators in the early morning of the first match day, the crowd gathered, which was probably the most exciting moment. It's a dream day for every qualifier. ”
WST: Jessie May recommended you for the London Marathon in October this year, how are your preparations progressing?
"I'm wearing running gear when I'm interviewed, and I'm going to go for a ten-mile run when I put down my phone. There's no plan yet, I'm just enjoying the run. I run, bike or swim every day. All I do is keep my physical strength. I will start my marathon program after the World Championships. I now feel exceptionally healthy and everything in front of me is amazing. Participating in the London Marathon was more than just a race for me, my life even changed because of it. I am delighted that I have the opportunity to represent Jessie May charities in this competition. ”