Young Blood

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One of the most talented snooker players to come onto the scene in recent years is Duane Jones. Duane, first started playing aged 12 after being inspired watching Jimmy White playing and how easy he made the game look. Nicknamed “Taffy”, Jones became Welsh under-16 captain and the youngest player to win the singles in the Aberdare Valley Snooker League.

 

Earning his place on the tour by qualifying through Q School,Duane broke out onto the circuit in 2015 and has beaten the likes of Xintong and Delu as early career scalps. Jones then fell off the radar for a few years but in the current season has performed very well, reaching the semi-final of the German Masters and has just knocked out the Grand Prix winner, Judd Trump in the Welsh Open.

 

This is a player who I would highly tip as he has the potential for the all round game. He is fearless when in the balls and is a fantastic long ball potter. Jones is not phased by who he plays and despite being ranked 72, he has the makings of a top 16 player. He is just a bit rough around the edges and needs to get deeper into tournaments to experience the television tables and large audiences. Berlin was a marker for his career and showed his potential but with this player I get the same vibe did when I first saw a young Kyren Wilson player, Duane Jones is definitely tipped for the top!

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