Snooker ace throws cue in anger as Crucible pressure gets the better of him

26 April 2024 , 15:55

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Robert Milkins let his anger get the better of him

Snooker ace Robert Milkins stunned spectators at the World Snooker Championship when he threw his cue to the ground in anger after missing a pot.

At the time, Milkins was losing 7-4 to David Gilbert. The crowd's gasp was audible before commentator Rob Walker claimed: "Throws the cue in disgust." Co-commentator Mark Allen was equally as stunned, adding: "I cannot believe that! I cannot believe that."

Former world champion John Parrott perhaps summed up the situation best, telling BBC Two: "Milkins is so frustrated with his own level of performance but to throw your cue, it's very unusual to see that.

"You can do damage to it, knock the tip off. He's not happy at all. Vesuvius has been bubbling under for a day and a bit - and unfortunately, she just blasted off."

Milkins' miss proved to be pivotal, with Gilbert winning five of the next frames to leave his furious opponent with a mountain to climb. Ahead of the final session resuming at 19:00 BST, Gilbert boasts an impressive 12-4 lead over Milkins.

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In turn, Gilbert needs to win just one more frame to book his place in the quarter-finals, where either Stephen Maguire or Shaun Murphy await them. Milkins has never made it past the second round of the championship.

In contrast, Gilbert's best performance in the competition came in 2017, where he reached the semi-final. Following a 10-9 win against China's Pang Junxu on Tuesday, Milkins shed light on how difficult the season has been so far.

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"I've had such a bad season and that win turned a bad season into a fairly bad one," the 48-year-old explained. "I was fighting my demons and played so bad, it was like watching two amateurs knocking around in the club."

The championship will conclude on Monday, May 6. Tournament favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan is not in action again until this Sunday, when he meets Ryan Day. 'Rocket Ronnie' made light work of Jackson Page 10-1 in his Crucible opener.

O'Sullivan is aiming to become just the fourth man after Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Mark Williams, to win The Masters, UK Championship and World Championship in the same season. He has already won five tournaments this term, including victories in the World Grand Prix, Shanghai Masters and World Masters of Snooker.

Josh O'Brien