O'Sullivan explains why Welsh Open champ Milkins can be "very off-putting"

21 February 2023 , 13:55

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Robert Milkins secured the Welsh Open title last Sunday (Image: Colin Poultney/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

Snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins can be 'very off-putting' for opponents, following the 46-year-old's final victory over Shaun Murphy last weekend.

Milkins secured the Welsh crown after winning a nail-biting clash 9-7 over world No. 11 Murphy in Llandudno on Sunday. The victory was just the Englishman's second at ranking level, after securing his first at the 2022 Gibraltar Open where he became the tour's oldest first-time winner since 1988.

Despite taking the long route round to becoming a tournament champion, Milkins has earned the respect of arguably the sport's greatest ever player in O'Sullivan.

The Rocket admitted that his fellow countryman can prove to be a tricky opponent due to his style of play. He told Eurosport: "I love watching Rob play, you know. He is just unorthodox. He is out of position a lot, but he pots these balls. He is confident and he is good to watch.

"Because he is so quick and instinctive, the pressure cannot really get to him. Yes, he is always going to throw in a few mistakes, but with his speed and quick thinking, he does not really feel pressure. He plays off instinct much more. It can be very off-putting for his opponents too. As a player, it can be very hard to play against."

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Ronnie O'Sullivan had high praise for the Welsh Open champion (VCG via Getty Images)

Comparing him to snooker stalwart Tony Drago, he added: "Drago was like that: he was up out of his chair, he's missing balls and you think he has gone.

"Then all of a sudden he is back. Milkins is a bit like that - he is a very similar player to Drago, very instinctive." Following his 9-7 win over Murphy, Milkins did not only receive the plaudits from one snooker legend, but two. Echoing O'Sullivan, Jimmy White added: "Yes, he seems to get down, pull the cue back and hit! But he pots some really good balls, you know.

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Milkins celebrates his Welsh Open win (Colin Poultney/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

"He leaves himself in bad positions but just nonchalantly rolls the balls in. He has got good bottle and good self-belief, he just needs to bring it all in a bit and get a bit more control. He plays on instincts, like on a tightrope.

"He is never settled, but the way he plays, I don't think you could settle because I think he would not go for the shots he goes for. For his opponents, you think you have got someone because they are starting to miss, but all of a sudden, they just roll one in and away they go again."

Joshua Lees