Si Jiahui stuns Shaun Murphy at The Crucible as Milkins completes remarkable comeback

Si Jiahui enjoyed a dream debut win over Shaun Murphy in Round One of the World Snooker Championship, as Robert Milkins completed a sensational comeback win over Joe Perry.

Si, who came through three qualifying matches to reach The Crucible for the first time, held his nerve in a tense last-frame decider to knock out the 2005 World Champion.

The 20-year-old had taken a slender 5-4 lead into the second session before opening up a 9-6 advantage with breaks of 120, 93 and 86 along the way.

Having earlier made a 102 break, Murphy added his second century of the night with a 120 to make it three frames on the spin and force a grandstand finish.

However, this season’s Players Championship and Tour Championship winner failed to convert his chance after Si had broken down on 56, and the Chinese youngster returned to close out a memorable victory.

The world number 80 will now face Milkins in the Last 16 after the reigning Welsh Open champion battled back from 7-2 down to defeat Perry by the same scoreline.

With Monday’s scheduled first session having been postponed until Tuesday due to a protestor vandalising the table, the pair returned at 9.30am on Thursday with Perry just three frames away from the winning line.

Perry remained in firm control at 8-4, but only for Milkins to rattle in breaks of 51, 53, 55 and 59 en route to five unanswered frames to turn the match on its head.

Perry recovered well to produce a 63 break and force a decider, but the number 13 seed returned the favour with a 63 break of his own to wrap up victory.

“My belief was terrible at 7-2, but the crowd got behind me and I was reeling off frames,” Milkins told Radio 5 Live.

“I’m chuffed to bits. It really was a tale of two halves.

“I just said to myself ‘go out there and make the score respectable’. I fancied the job when I got back to 7-4.”

Meanwhile, Mark Selby fended off a spirited test from Matthew Selt to secure a 10-8 victory and a place in Round Two.

Selby led 6-3 going in to the final session, and after Selt had clinched three of the next five frames, the Leicester ace added a break of 73 to move within one of victory at 9-6.

Selt secured back-to-back frames to reduce the deficit to one, but Selby averted the need for a decider by compiling a magnificent break of 112 to seal victory in style.

Mark Allen established a 5-3 lead over Stuart Bingham following the first session of their Second Round contest.

Allen produced breaks of 65, 91, 85, 67 and 72 to Bingham’s 134 and 62 in a high quality start to the match, which will resume at 2.30pm on Friday.

Mark Williams and Luca Brecel will head into their second session locked level at four apiece, with both having fired in a century apiece so far.

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World Snooker Championship 2023 Day Six Results

*Indicates final session

Thursday April 20

9.30am
Robert Milkins 10-9 Joe Perry*

Round One

1pm
Mark Selby 10-8 Matthew Selt*

Second Round

1pm
Luca Brecel 4-4 Mark Williams

7pm
Shaun Murphy 9-10 Si Jiahui*

Second Round

7pm
Mark Allen 5-3 Stuart Bingham

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