Only one match finished yesterday as David Gilbert beat Robert Milkins by 13-4 to reach the QFs.

Here is the report by WST:

David Gilbert scored 421 points without reply as he thrashed an injured Robert Milkins 13-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Cazoo World Championship. 

Milkins predicted before the match that it was a “50-50 game” but it turned out to be a one-sided contest as Gilbert, riding on a new wave of enthusiasm for snooker, made two centuries and six more breaks over 50 in a superb display. From the end of frame 13 to the conclusion of the match, he compiled 421 points without Milkins troubling the scoreboard – the fourth highest sequence of unanswered points in Crucible history, albeit well short of John Higgins’ record of 485

Tamworth’s 42-year-old Gilbert is through to his second Crucible quarter-final and first since 2019 when he reached the semis before a narrow 17-16 defeat against Higgins. The world number 31 will face Stephen Maguire or Shaun Murphy on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Throughout his career, Gilbert has had spells of falling out of love with snooker and losing appetite for practice. He has not reached a ranking event semi-final since winning the 2021 Championship League, but in the past four weeks he has worked hard on his game and fitness and is now enjoying the rewards.

During the second session this morning, Gilbert moved from 5-3 ahead to 12-4, compiling breaks of  67, 83, 136 and 123. Milkins’ chances were hampered by pain in the trapezius muscle of his left shoulder, and he struggled to cue correctly throughout the day. During the 12th frame, frustrated by the match slipping away, he threw his cue to the Crucible floor. When they returned for the evening session, the match was over within 17 minutes as Gilbert dominated frame 17

Milkins said: “It was just emotion coming out when I threw my cue. It wasn’t that bad, I didn’t javelin it into the crowd or do an Eric Cantona! I have done it loads of times, there’s a certain way of dropping the cue where the tip doesn’t come off. It can be good to let your emotions out – Stephen Maguire does it and it can turn his game around.

“This morning I was at Tesco at 6am, buying ibuprofen. I get this pain once or twice a year and usually it goes away with the tablets, but this time it has hurt all day. I couldn’t get down on the shot. It was frustrating that I couldn’t have a good crack at the match. But I don’t want to make excuses because Dave played really well and if he keeps that up he could go far. I have been lazy this season and it has caught up with me now, my game is a million miles off.“

Gilbert said: “I’m feeling confident and it’s nice to know I can still play a bit. It feels fantastic when the white is doing what you want it to do, and I have also been winning scrappy frames, which is important. Some people might be surprised because I have been shocking for so long, but I have been working hard and timed it right for this event. When I got to the semis here in 2019 I realised you have to spend your time wisely, make sure you rest in between sessions and eat properly, so the fitness work has helped and I have time to smash the gym before Tuesday.”

Asked about his next opponent, Gilbert added: “I have known them both since we were kids. Back then, Stephen was the one I most admired, even more than the likes of Shaun and Mark Selby. He has had a great career but I’m amazed he hasn’t won this one. Shaun is one of the few players I will watch if it’s on – the way he hits the ball. They both attack and go for their shots which you have to do here. You have to play to win, you can’t fudge over the line.”

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I didn’t watch this particular match so can’t comment on the action. One thing though that I want to say is that Robert Milkins isn’t a bad person. I’ve got to know him a bit during the SWSA days. He’s a very instinctive sort of man who sometimes does things that he later regrets but his heart is in the right place and he will be the first to admit it when he’s been wrong. Life hasn’t always been kind on him either. People shouldn’t judge him too harshly.

On another note … about conditions … Barry Pinches on Facebook was rejoicing about the fact that this year the pockets are tight and don’t accept the balls too easily, only for Tom Ford telling him that it’s nothing to do with the pockets. According to Tom it’s freezing cold in the arena and that has an impact on the way the cushions react, including in the immediate vicinity of the pockets, and that is – in his views – why the pockets appear to be tighter.

In other important news, please read this piece by the always excellent David Caulfield

Shaun Murphy is asking some very important questions here and he summarises the Crucible dilemma very well: a lot of players and fans, especially the older ones and the British ones, have a strong sentimental bond with the Crucible but it’s the smallest venue hosting snooker biggest event. It worked in the past, even in a not so distant past but no more. One of the reasons for that is that snooker in the UK is in decline, while it’s growing elsewhere. the UK centric approach isn’t right anymore. Shaun also wonder why Barry Hearn – officially retired – appears to still be the figurehead of snooker. My answer to that is … because the reality is that Matchroom is the majority shareholder of the sport, and, although Eddie Hearn is supposed to be the boss, he has little interest in snooker, unlike Barry who hasn’t really stepped down and can’t let go of it.