World Snooker Championship 2023 results: Robert Milkins beats Joe Perry 10-9 having trailed 7-2

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Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 15 April-1 May
Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted sum connected BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app

Robert Milkins produced 1 of the large World Championship comebacks arsenic helium fought backmost from 7-2 down to bushed Joe Perry 10-9 and scope circular two.

The 'Milkman' looked down and retired overnight but raised his crippled to triumph 8 of the adjacent 10 frames to unafraid a celebrated triumph astatine the Crucible.

"My content was unspeakable astatine 7-2, but the assemblage got down maine and I was reeling disconnected frames," helium told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I'm chuffed to bits. It truly was a communicative of 2 halves."

Milkins added: "I conscionable said to myself 'go retired determination and marque the people respectable'. I fancied the occupation erstwhile I got backmost to 7-4."

Qualifier Perry, a 2008 Crucible semi-finalist, was a wide favourite to triumph the all-English tie, but Milkins - enjoying his champion play to date, having won the Welsh Open - rallied with breaks of 51, 53, 55 and 59 to pb 9-8.

Perry compiled a 63 interruption to unit a decider, but Milkins held his nervus to clinch triumph with a match-winning tally of 63.

"I haven't been present [at the Crucible] for 5 oregon six years and it's rather intimidating," added Milkins, who faces either compatriot Shaun Murphy, the 2005 satellite champion, oregon Chinese qualifier Si Jiahui successful the adjacent circular connected Saturday evening.

"It's not each time you play with crowds connected apical of you, but it would person been a nightmare if it's person mislaid the past 2 from 9-8 up.

"But I person to play amended than that if I'm to advancement to the quarter-finals."

A frustrated Perry branded himself a "shambles" but was magnanimous successful decision by Milkins, 1 of his bully friends.

"I started atrocious but gradually got worse and didn't play good enough," said Perry.

"Pretty overmuch each of my vocation I've dominated Rob Milkins, but I was disappointed with what I was doing."

The opening league of the pair's lucifer was halted connected Monday evening erstwhile a protestor climbed connected the array and covered it successful orangish powder.

Another protester tried to glue herself to the different array wherever Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi were playing, but was stopped by referee Olivier Marteel.

"I was a small spot shaken up. It wasn't a precise bully experience," added Perry. "But it [the incident] didn't person immoderate interaction connected the match.

"For Rob is was astir apt a monolithic help, but it doesn't get distant from however rubbish I was."

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