UPSET EXIT FOR MILKINS

Robert Milkins is knocked out on day five, while Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Jackson Page qualify into the next stage of the BetVictor Championship League ranking event at Morningside Arena, Leicester.

The 2023 Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins missed out on a win in the opening match against Ukrainian Iulian Boiko, who forced a 2-2 draw with crucial potting in the final frame.

Andrew Higginson initially seemed the favourite to qualify, starting with a century break of 121 in his opening match against Jackson Page. Higginson followed up with a 2-2 draw against top seed Milkins, and a 3-1 victory against Boiko to complete his day.

Milkins entered his last match desperate for a 3-0 win to top the group. However, a stunning 127-century break from Jackson Page in frame two, followed by runs of 72 and 60, allowed Page to make a surprising comeback and qualify from Group 10 ahead of both Milkins and Higginson.

In contrast to Milkins’ performance, 2019 World Open runner-up Thepchaiya Un-Nooh had a successful run on day five, kicking off with a 3-1 victory against English cueist Mark Joyce in the opening match.

Un-Nooh continued his momentum into the evening session, delivering a formidable performance against Julien Leclercq with breaks of 106, 67, and 104 to claim a 3-0 win. Despite finishing the day with a 2-2 tie against Daniel Wells, Un-Nooh was guaranteed to progress to the second stage, being the only player in his group to claim two wins.The Championship League is the first ranking event of the new season and was won last year by the 2005 World Champion, Shaun “The Magician” Murphy. The opening tournament of the season runs until July 3rd. In the first phase, 128 players are split into 32 groups of four, with those 32 group winners going through to the next round. 

The tournament takes place over three stages, starting on Monday, 10 June. Winners’ Week will run from Friday 28, June concluding with Finals Day on Wednesday, 3 July. The eventual winner will also receive an invite into the 2023 Champion of Champions this November 11 to November 17alongside the £20,000 first-place prize.