Kyren Wilson holds World Championship final lead but Jak Jones stages fightback
Jones staged a remarkable comeback in the evening session, clawing back five frames after falling behind 7-1 in the first afternoon session.
Wilson dominated the opening session of the final, building a commanding 7-1 lead over Welsh qualifier Jak Jones.
It marked the first century break in a Crucible final's opening frame since Stephen Hendry's legendary 136 against Jimmy White in 1993.
The Englishman continued his masterful display with additional breaks of 52, 66, 62, 90, and another century break - racing into a 7-0 lead against little resistance.
It left Jones, competing in his first-ever ranking final, facing more than an uphill task to get back into the match.
Despite the mounting pressure, the Welshman showed glimpses of his talent with a well-deserved 65 break in the final frame of the early session.
Jones eventually found his touch in the evening session, compiling four impressive half-century breaks.
Wilson, though not replicating his early dominance, showcased his class with breaks of 125, 60, and a crucial 122 in the 17th frame, where both players had a shot at the final black.
Welsh qualifier Jones told the BBC after clawing back five frames that he still felt he was in with a chance.
"It's a miracle that I'm still in it as I played shocking," Jones said.
"I'm still in the match. If I had a decent night's sleep last night I think I could probably have done something today, it could have been different.
"Get a good night's sleep, come out flying tomorrow and things could happen."
Wilson said he hoped to go one better than his last outing in the World Championship final - which he lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2020.
"I felt Jak played really well tonight," the world number 12 told the BBC.
"It's not all about the scoreline, it's about how the frame was won and there was obviously a lot of tension in there.
"I'm proud of the way I held it together. I had in my head I wanted to get to 11 tonight having been on seven (after the afternoon session). Target achieved.
"I've scored pretty well. I'm just loving every minute out there. The atmosphere is fantastic. I'm very blessed and grateful I've been able to experience this in front of a packed house, having been robbed of that through Covid."