High Scoring Milkins Makes Semis

Robert Milkins has enjoyed a firework laden path to his first Tempodrom semi-final at the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin, making 146 and 147 breaks along the way, capped off by clinching a 5-2 victory over Chris Wakelin this evening.

The 147 break came in the second frame of tonight’s tie and solidified Milkins’ grip on the high £5,000 high break prize. It’s the third maximum in his career and first since 2012.

Milkins, 46, enjoyed a landmark maiden ranking crown last season when he won the Gibraltar Open. It was a moment which was 27 years in the making, having initially turned professional all the way back in 1995. He will be hoping to draw on those memories tomorrow when he faces Ali Carter in the famous single table setup at the Tempodrom.

Defeat for Wakelin ends a 16 match winning streak, which included capturing his maiden ranking title at last week’s BetVictor Shoot Out. He scored an impressive 5-4 win over 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson this afternoon, but defeating Milkins this evening proved to be a bridge too far.

The 147 break drew things level at 1-1 and from there Milkins took control. Runs of 60 and 65 helped him to a further three frames on the bounce to make it 4-1. Wakelin responded commendably with a superb break of 116 to make it 4-2. However, Gloucester’s Milkins got himself over the line with 86 in the seventh to emerge a 5-2 victor.

“It is unbelievable. I am shocked myself, because I haven’t been scoring all season. My safety has been so good and it has been winning me matches. The 146 came from nowhere and I went out tonight and hit a 147,” said world number 31 Milkins. “I was so nervous through the break. It wasn’t really on. There were a lot of reds congested and it just worked out really well.

“Any break over 140 is brilliant. Now I’m in the semi-finals. If I’d have come off having lost the game, I wouldn’t have had the same buzz. Being in the tournament is more important than making breaks. It is just the icing on the cake. It has been a really good week for me and I hope it continues.

“The crowd in there are incredible. When the maximum went in, I’ve never felt anything like that. It was so good and you’ve got to give the fans credit.”

Essex cueman Carter earned his last four spot with a hard fought 5-3 win over China’s Pang Junxu.

The Captain is a former finalist in Berlin, having made the title match in 2017. On that occasion he lost out to Anthony Hamilton, but he will be hoping to claim victory this time around and secure a first ranking event win since the 2016 World Open.

Carter hammered home breaks of 61, 122, 111, 50 and 80 on his way to this evening’s win and now faces Milkins in tomorrow’s first semi-final at 2pm.

Tom Ford is through to the eighth ranking semi-final of his career after an impressive 5-2 defeat of 2019 German Masters winner Kyren Wilson.

Ford is yet to win his first ranking title, but has shown signs of strong form so far this season, having made the last four at the UK Championship before Christmas.

The Leicester potter closed out this evening’s victory with a break of 99 in the seventh frame and now faces Jack Lisowski in the semis tomorrow evening at 8pm.

Lisowski is also in hot pursuit of a dream maiden title and beat Xiao Guodong 5-3 to seal his semi-final berth.

The 31-year-old has already made the semi-finals at the UK Championship and the Masters this season. Breaks of 98, 54 and 78 helped him on his way to tonight’s win.

High Scoring Milkins Makes Semis World Snooker.