Welsh Open 2023: In-form Robert Milkins stuns weary Mark Selby to make last-16 in Llandudno

Robert Milkins is through to the last-16 of the Welsh Open after he stunned a weary Mark Selby 4-2 in Llandudno.

It was an error-strewn display from Selby, who was playing his third consecutive late session of the week, and the in-form Milkins – despite not being at his best – would take full advantage.

Milkins’ reward for his first victory over Selby since 2011 is a meeting with Barry Hawkins or Hossein Vafaei on Thursday evening.

“It weren’t a very good game, really – none of us were at our best,” Milkins reflected in the Eurosport studio.

“I was lucky Mark was out of form, really. He missed quite a few balls. I seemed to be jabbing at a lot of shots tonight, I don’t know why.

“I felt alright last frame. That was it, you know. It wasn’t great, but obviously, I’m ecstatic to get through.”

Selby made a bright start to the match, pouncing on a safety error by Milkins, making a break of 92 and although he just missed out on a century, he was up and running.

Selby would have been disappointed not to win the second frame, too; after getting back in amongst the balls, he missed a sitter of a red to left centre, and he still couldn’t put the game to bed after Milkins spurned two huge opportunities. Selby knew his luck was out when he escaped from a snooker behind the pink only to suffer the misfortune of potting the white, and Milkins cleared up to level at 1-1.

Milkins soon had his nose in front following an eventful and lengthy third frame, and tiredness was evidently creeping into Selby’s game as he left a gift for the ‘Milkman’ and he showed his class to polish off the remaining balls.

There was an opportunity for Milkins to put daylight between him and his opponent in the fourth frame, but he failed to convert a red to left middle, and though Selby couldn’t put it to bed in the first visit – making only 40 – he had a second bite of the cherry, making 64, levelling at 2-2.

The inconsistency continued in the fifth frame, but it was another big mistake from Selby that saw him fall behind once more. His first error went unpunished but when he missed a wild yellow, Milkins would eventually make him pay as he moved to within a frame of victory.

Selby found himself in real danger with the four-time world champion left tight next to the brown. Despite several attempts, he failed to escape as Milkins moved 23 points clear, leaving a red to compound his pain. The Milkman would finish the match in style with a closing break of 137.

“I felt the conditions were quite tough out there,” said Selby on reflection of his performance.

“Rob said to me at the end that he felt the table played quite heavy. It was hard work. But, you know, I missed a couple of balls obviously that you probably shouldn’t miss. Rob punished me at the end.

“I didn’t play well enough today and didn’t deserve to win.”

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