Mark Selby v Jak Jones live stream | British Open 2026 Final preview
Selby (right) and Jones do battle for the title (Credit: PA Images)
Mark Selby goes head to head with Jak Jones on Sunday for the right to be crowned the 2026 British Open champion in Cheltenham.
Both players are already seeking their second ranking title of this season, as they do battle over the best of 19 frames at The Centaur for the Clive Everton trophy and top prize of £100,000.
Jones claimed the first ranking silverware of his career at the Championship League in July, while Selby triumphed at the following month’s China Open.
The Jester, appearing in his third British Open final in four years, lifted this trophy in 2024, and could become the sixth multiple winner – after Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Mark Williams.
Selby – also runner-up to Williams in 2023 – is certainly in the form to do so. He has now won 14 of his last 15 matches at ranking events, following Saturday’s gruelling 6-3 victory over Liam Highfield in the semi-finals.
At the start of the week, the four-time World champion came through three successive deciding frames against David Lilley, Lei Peifan and Jackson Page. He then ousted Ding Junhui’s conqueror in Iulian Boiko 4-2, before sweeping home favourite Jack Lisowski aside 5-0.
Selby is now eyeing his 27th ranking title, which would move him joint-sixth with Williams on the all-time list, in what is his 40th final appearance.
Standing in his way is Jones, who he crushed 10-2 in the opening round at last season’s World Championship.
The Welshman has lost seven of the eight previous showdowns between the players, though just three of those have come in events outside the Championship League and Shoot Out.
Jones could have been forgiven for his mind being elsewhere this week, with the birth of his second child imminent. Yet, in reality, the snooker appears to have provided him with a welcome distraction, as he has subsequently advanced to his third ranking final.
That is not bad going for a player who only belatedly learned of a change in timing of his scheduled opening match against Anthony McGill.
Nevertheless, he made two centuries in a 4-0 whitewash of the 2025 British Open finalist, before putting Wuhan Open champion Chang Bingyu to the sword 4-1 and overcoming Artemijs Zizins 4-2.
Jones then needed a break of 70 in the decider to get over the line against Aaron Hill, who had levelled their quarter-final at 4-4 from 4-2 down, but required no second opportunity as he beat Judd Trump 6-3 in the last four.
Another brilliant week of snooker comes down to a 19-frame battle between two of the game’s best tactical players, with the Clive Everton trophy and £100,000 at stake.
The final breaks off at 1pm BST on Sunday with the opening eight frames, before playing to a conclusion from 7pm with a maximum of 11.
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