Gilbert roars past Milkins into World Championship quarter-finals

Jonathan Davies in World Snooker Championship 26 April 2024

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Gilbert wrapped up a commanding win over Milkins (Cody Froggatt/News Images)

David Gilbert is the first man through to this year’s World Championship quarter-finals after a commanding 13-4 win over Robert Milkins.

The world number 31 is into the last eight at the Crucible for only the second time in 10 appearances, five years after his memorable run to the semi-finals.

From 5-3 up overnight, Gilbert stamped his authority on the match by winning eight of the nine frames – hitting back-to-back centuries as he closed out victory with 421 unanswered points.

Milkins had produced a sublime 48 clearance to snatch the final frame of the opening session, and threatened to pinch the first of the second with a 62 break from 49-0 down.

However, he missed the blue and Gilbert subsequently took the frame on the black, though the Milkman did win the next to trail 6-4.

Milkins was looking to reach his first Crucible quarter-final, but could not build any momentum and his frustration levels reached boiling point in frame 12, when he threw his cue across the arena when missing a red to the right corner.

Smelling blood, Gilbert pounced as he reeled off seven successive frames with breaks of 67, 84, 136 and 123 helping wrap up a dominant victory.

“I’m feeling confident and it’s nice to know I can still play a bit,” he told WST.

“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.”

✅ 2019
🆕 2024

Through to his 2️⃣nd Crucible QF. 👨‍🌾 #CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/rmx4i9eJCF

— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) April 26, 2024

Judd Trump is close to joining him in the last eight, with the 2019 champion 11-5 to the good against Tom Ford.

The Ace, who led 6-2 overnight, hit breaks of 107, 67, 59, 50 to move within two frames of reaching his 10th Crucible quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Jak Jones leads Si Jiahui 9-7 in a battle between the two players who enjoyed impressive debuts 12 months ago.

The Chinese, who was beaten by eventual champion Luca Brecel in last year’s semi-finals, was made to rue his failure to convert several opportunities across the opening two sessions, with the Welshman pinching five frames on the black as he established an overnight advantage.

Elsewhere, Stephen Maguire is 5-3 up against Shaun Murphy in his quest to make successive quarter-finals.

The Scotsman was twice pegged back from 2-1 and 3-2 up by the 2005 World champion, who is making his first appearance in the second round for three years, but won the last two frames of their opening session with a run of 72 along the way.

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