TNT Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan says Robert Milkins reminds him of Tony Drago - ‘He’s got a really good snooker brain’
By
Published 18/02/2023 at 19:09 GMT
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed Robert Milkins reminds him of Tony Drago, given their flamboyant playing styles. Milkins reached the second ranking final of his career with a 6-2 victory over Tian Pengfei in the semi-finals of the Welsh Open on Saturday. Stream top snooker action, including the Welsh Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk.
O'Sullivan and Foulds analyse how Milkins got the better of Tian
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan says Robert Milkins reminds him of flamboyant snooker player Tony Drago, after the world No. 27 reached the Welsh Open final.
Milkins beat Tian Pengfei 6-2 in a match that featured a contrast of styles, and the result means the player nicknamed The Milkman can win the bonus of £150,000, as well as the Welsh Open title, should he be victorious on Sunday.
He won the final three frames after a cagey start to the match and a brilliant deep screw shot on two reds that saw the first fly into the right centre in the penultimate frame underlined Milkins’ growing confidence.
“If I was sitting in my chair, I wouldn’t think he got lucky there,” O’Sullivan said in the Eurosport studio when analysing the shot.
“He’s got a really good snooker brain. He reminds me of Tony Drago. Players like him and Drago see shots like that.
“He played good, solid stuff, did enough to win. He’s got a lot of confidence, so he will fancy the job [in the final].”
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2023/02/18/3560604-72521253-2560-1440.jpg)
'Playing the final is hard enough!' - Milkins suggests BetVictor bonus will make him more nervous
Video credit: TNT Sports
Milkins turned professional in 1995 but has only played one previous ranking final which came at last year’s Gibraltar Open, where he beat Kyren Wilson 4-2.
This month, the 46-year-old has been in great form, having reached the semi-finals of the German Masters two weeks ago.
Neal Foulds says Milkins is just a “normal guy that plays snooker, who has a gift” and thinks his triumph in Gibraltar boosted his career.
“It certainly helped him,” said Foulds. “Gibraltar was not the biggest event, but it was a ranking event, and in that final he wasn’t frightened to get over the line.
“He beat Kyren Wilson, pinched the first frame of that match with a sensational match so he’s not overawed by the occasions. If a chance comes, he is capable of taking it.
“He’s doing a lot of things wrong. He can go out of form a little bit, even in the middle of a match, almost goes to sleep for a while, but then he rises from the slumber. All inspiration, that’s the type of player he is, a very natural type.”
- - -
Stream top snooker action including the Welsh Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement