Neil Robertson fights back to draw level with Crucible debutant Jak Jones

The pair at locked at 4-4 heading into the evening session at the World Snooker Championship.

Neil Robertson (right) is level with Crucible debutant Jak Jones after their opening session in Sheffield (Nigel French/PA) (PA Wire)

Neil Robertson recovered from 3-0 down to finish the opening session all square at 4-4 against Jak Jones in the second round of the World Snooker Championship.

Crucible debutant Jones, who upset two-time finalist Ali Carter 10-6 in the opening round, missed a red when poised to open up a 4-0 lead and former champion Robertson took full advantage to peg the Welshman back.

Jones came out on top after a marathon first frame, which lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour.

He followed up with a break of 122 to go 2-0 up and at the start of the third frame 2010 winner Robertson had not potted a ball for 30 minutes.Jones then opened up a 3-0 lead, but a missed red in the fourth frame halted a score of 46 and world number six Robertson hit back with successive breaks of 89 and 95 to make it 3-2.

Qualifier Jones composed himself to move 4-2 up with a 77-break before another missed red while on 48 cost him the seventh frame and Robertson then levelled it up by taking the eighth.

The players will resume at 7pm on Friday as they bid for a place in the last eight against Mark Allen or Stuart Bingham.

Three-time champion Mark Williams trails his second-round match against Luca Brecel 9-7 going into Friday’s evening session.

The pair resumed at 4-4 after the first session on Thursday night and Williams took the first two frames with breaks of 62 and 53 to lead 6-4.

Brecel responded with impressive back-to-back centuries (111 and 100) and went on to win five straight frames to lead 9-6 before Williams stemmed the tide and reduced the deficit.

Belgian world number 10 Brecel and Williams, currently ranked eighth, are vying for a place in the quarter-finals against Ronnie O’Sullivan or Hossein Vafaei, who begin their second-round match on Friday afternoon.

Allen, meanwhile, moved to within touching distance of the quarter-finals after a dominant second session against Bingham.

Allen, 5-3 ahead overnight, won seven of the eight frames and requires one more frame on Saturday morning to progress.

Bingham prevented his opponent from winning with a session to spare by compiling a century in frame 16, but he still trails 12-4.