Championship League snooker: Robert Milkins on course for third career ranking title – ‘It’s mad, isn’t it?’
Robert Milkins failed to win a ranking title in the first 26 years of his professional career, but could carry off a third major trophy in the past three seasons at the Championship League in Leicester.
‘The Milkman’ was left feeling far from sour after winning Group H on Tuesday, courtesy of a 3-0 victory over John Astley and 2-2 draws with fellow World Championship qualifiers Si Jiahui and Pang Junxu, respectively.
The Welsh Open champion progressed ahead of Si and Astley by a single point as the only unbeaten player in the section to secure his return for Friday’s final day at the Morningside Arena.
The talented Gloucester professional ended last season with record earnings of £380,600 in prize money and rose to 13th in the world rankings from a starting position of 37 in his most successful campaign on tour since turning professional in 1995.
Watch emotional moment Milkins wins Welsh Open in final against Murphy
“Lucky for me, the first frame was the best I played in the match. I felt in patches, when I needed to, I felt a lot sharper. I will need to be even sharper in the next phase.
“I felt 100 times better than I did in the opening stage. I could win another ranking event, it’s mad, isn’t it? I will have to improve a lot though.”
Noppon Saengkham finished his day’s work topping Group C on seven points after a 3-0 win over tour debutant Liu Hongyu, a 2-2 draw with Daniel Wells and a closing 3-1 victory over Ashley Carty.
He joins Chris Wakelin on Group 1 on Friday with Milkins and Mark Williams in Group 2 before the final two spots in each group are decided over Wednesday and Thursday.
The winners of the final group contest the Championship League final, the season’s first ranking competition, on Friday evening.
The tournament carries total prize money of £328,000, with the winner also guaranteed a spot in the elite 16-player Champion of Champions event in Bolton in November.
Stage Two Group winners/schedule
- Group E: Chris Wakelin (Eng)
- Group F: Mark Williams (Wal)
- Group H: Robert Milkins (Eng)
- Group C: Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
- Michael Holt (Eng)
- Xiao Guodong (Chn)
- Ben Woollaston (Eng)
- Zhou Yuelong (Chn)
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
- David Gilbert (Eng)
- James Cahill (Eng)
- Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- Cao Yupeng (Chn)
- Joe Perry (Eng)
- Matthew Stevens (Wal)
- Judd Trump (Eng)
- MIchael White (Wal)
- Sam Craigie (Eng)
- Long Zehuang (Chn)
- Jak Jones (Wal)
Stage One Group Winners
- Group 3: Ashley Carty (Eng)
- Group 30: Daniel Wells (Wal)
- Group 11: Martin O’Donnell (Eng)
- Group 21: Chris Wakelin (Eng)
- Group 10: Michael White (Wal)
- Group 22: Robbie Williams (Eng)
- Group 5: Kyren Wilson (Eng)
- Group 29: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
- Group 6: Mark Williams (Wal)
- Group 27: Barry Pinches (Eng)
- Group 32: Xiao Guodong (Chn)
- Group 16: Ben Woollaston (Eng)
- Group 15: Matthew Stevens (Wal)
- Group 28: Anthony Hamilton (Eng)
- Group 17: Zhou Yuelong (Chn)
- Group 26: Jak Jones (Wal)
- Group 7: Long Zehuang (Chn)
- Group 24: Pang Junxu (Chn)
- Group 8: Robert Milkins (Eng)
- Group 23: Sam Craigie (Eng)
- Group 20: James Cahill (Eng)
- Group 25: Si Jiahui (Chn)
- Group 1: Michael Holt (Eng)
- Group 19: Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
- Group 2: Judd Trump (Eng)
- Group 18: Joe Perry (Eng)
- Group 4: Shaun Murphy (Eng)
- Group 12: Sanderson Lam (Eng)
- Group 13: David Gilbert (Eng)
- Group 31: Cao Yupeng (Chn)
- Group 9: John Astley (Eng)
- Group 14: Liu Hongyu (Chn)
Championship League Stage 1
- June 26-30
- July 3-8
- July 10-14
Championship League Stage 2
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