After 16 years of trying, Jak Jones finally has a trophy of his own.
The 32-year-old snooker player from Cwmbran, a small town in south Wales, won his first professional title on Wednesday, defeating England's David Gilbert 3-2 in the Championship League final in Leicester. The top prize was £33,000.
"It feels unreal," Jones told World Snooker. "I was more nervous tonight than I was in the world final. It's a monkey off my back and good to get that out of the way."
That world final he mentioned happened just two years ago, when Jones — then a relatively unknown qualifier — beat former champions Stuart Bingham and Judd Trump on his way to the World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. He lost that match to Kyren Wilson, but his incredible run made him a name to watch.
Before last night, though, Jones had never won a ranking title — the kind that really counts in professional snooker. He turned pro back in 2010, but briefly dropped off the tour twice before finding his feet again in 2016.
In Leicester this week, Jones worked his way through the tournament, beating Iran's Hossein Vafaei and fellow Welshman Dylan Emery, while also drawing against China's Zhang Anda, before edging out Gilbert in the final.
The victory means Jones has also earned a place at the Champion of Champions tournament in November, one of snooker's most prestigious events.
For Jones, though, the win was about more than money or rankings. "It's great for my wife and son who support me," he said. "And my parents have spent 15 years watching me lose, so it's nice to win one for them."