JAK Jones has vowed to start bringing his natural game to tournaments after departing a Welsh Open that brought him no home comforts, writes Paul Martin.

The Cwmbran potter joined Ryan Day in making a third-round exit at Celtic Manor, leaving two-time champion Mark Williams as the only Welshman to progress beyond the last 32.

Jones was beaten by Mark King and admitted feeling flat in a competition that in normal times would have felt like a homecoming for a player now based in Sheffield.

“I’ve felt terrible from start to finish this week,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure on Welsh players in these tournaments.

“But it was just like any other tournament for me in the end, staying in hotels where usually I’d be at home.

“I speak to my parents a few times a day on video calls but unfortunately I can’t go and see them.

“The tables have not been great either – the one I played on yesterday was pretty bad, to say the least.”

Jones has not been past the third-round stage since making the last eight in the English Open last October and feels he is yet to show the snooker world what he is truly capable of.

His switch to Ding Junhui’s academy has helped transform his practice but Jones admits he is not feeling the same confidence when the tournament heat is on.

“I’m allowing myself to get bogged down,” he said. “I’m trying too hard, I’m overthinking – my shot time is 10-15 seconds slower than it should be.

“I’m not a naturally slow player but I put too much pressure on myself and don’t allow myself to play my natural game.

“In general, I feel good in practice – better than I have in a long time. But I obviously still have a lot to work on.

“I keep getting drawn into my opponent’s style of play. I’m trying to beat them at their game rather than playing my own and it shows in my shot time – 30 seconds a shot is silly.

“If I play my natural game, which I’ve failed to do so far in my career, I’ll be a different player and fly up the rankings.”

The 27-year-old’s next chance to impress comes at March’s Gibraltar Open while in April he will have the chance to qualify for his first World Championships.

Williams, the sole Welshman to have won his home event, takes on world No.27 Tom Ford in this evening’s quarter-final.

Watch the Welsh Open live on Eurosport, Eurosport app and stream on discovery+