Another day,another former world champion exits the stage at the 2018 world championship,as Neil Robertson joins the growing number of seeds to fall at the first round stage.
Starting the day trailing Milkins 3-6 Robertson knew he needed a good start today and thats what he eventually got,taking a lengthy first frame of the day and then adding the second to close within one at 5-6.
He was also first in in the next,but when he couldn't take advantage Milkins pounced to open a two frame lead again and never looked back, taking the next three for a comfortable 10-5 win.
A miserable end to a difficult season for Robertson,who missed out on a place in the Masters and although he did manage to regain his top 16 place with a win in the Scottish Open he never really kicked on from it.There have of course also been off the table issues which no doubt will have taken their toll on him & hopefully things for all concerned will have improved by the start of the new season.
For Milkins this was a repeat of his first round victory over Robertson here in 2013 and he can now look forward to a second round clash with two time champ Mark Williams.
Williams had started the day with a comfortable 7-2 lead over Jimmy Robertson,but there were just signs early on that their might be a bit of life in this one as Robertson took the opening two frames to close the gap to 7-4, indeed he was unlucky not to have been left an easier chance from a wild Williams effort on a red,but when he failed to pot one Williams rediscovered his grove to roll in a 140 and settle his nerve again.
Another century followed in the next to make it 8-4 & although Robertson pulled one more back the match was all but over & Williams duly got the frame he needed to seal the 10-5 win.
Meanwhile John Higgins was made to sweat a little more then he probably expected against Thai debutant Thepchaiya Un-Nooh,who delighted the crowd this evening with a wonderfully refreshing devil may care attitude that had the four time champ, momentarily at least,on the ropes before his experience ultimately told.
Starting the night session trailing 6-3 Un-Nooh to hit the ground running & thats just what he did.taking three of the first four played,knocking in two centuries,one of which was a missed 15th red of a maximum attempt and thrilling the crowd with some spectacular potting all of which left him trialling Higgins at the interval by one at 7-6.
Theres not much though that Higgins hasn't seen at the Crucible at this stage and the wily Scot duly dug in when they returned to extend his lead again to 9-6 & although Un-Nooh did pull one more back,Higgins got the frame he needed to reach the last 16 with a 10-7 win.
Elsewhere Judd Trump holds a 6-3 lead over Chris Wakelin,who marked his debut with a wonderful break of 141 & Ryan Day also holds a 6-3 advantage over Anthony McGill.Day also now holds the current high break with fine 145 to finish the session.
Tomorrow see's those two matchs conclude as well as the opening session of the Perry v Allen & Lyu v Hawkins second round best of 25's.Things are starting to hot up.
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