Ronnie O'Sullivan survives serious Rob Milkins scare at UK Championship

30/11/2023 17:14

Ronnie O’Sullivan is into the UK Championship quarter-finals (Picture: Getty Images)

Ronnie O’Sullivan was taken to a deciding frame by Robert Milkins in the second round of the UK Championship but scraped over the line to win 6-5.

The match swung this way and that as Milkins won the first two frames but then lost four on the spin, with O’SUllivan knocking in a 142 along the way.

The Milkman stopped the rot but the Rocket looked in a great position at 5-3, before a century from Milkins and claiming the 10th to level the match at 5-5.

Milkins had never beaten O’Sullivan before, other than at the one-frame Shoot Out, and he had two chances early in the deciding frame to take control of it, but failed to do so, notably missing a very straightforward pink.

The world number one then got a chance of his own but lost position, visibly frustrated as he dropped his cue on the table, forced to play safe at 46-24 ahead.

After a missed plant from O’Sullivan, the underdog was afforded one more chance but missed a thin red and the Rocket took advantage and claimed the narrow victory.

O’Sullivan will take on either John Higgins or Zhou Yuelong in the quarter-finals and will be thinking that he needs to play better than he did on Thursday to beat either man.

Milkins will be frustrated to miss a great chance to beat O’Sullivan (Picture: Getty Images)

More to follow…

MORE : Ronnie O’Sullivan says he has been ‘asked to consider his future’ by snooker bosses

MORE : Judd Trump warns rivals it will ‘take something special’ to stop him at UK Championship

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