China’s Zhou Yuelong scored his first win over Neil Robertson, beating the Australian 6-2 on a night of tremendous entertainment in York at the MrQ UK Championship.
Defeat for Robertson ends an incredible 16-year streak. The 23-time ranking event winner won a professional title in each calendar year between 2006 and 2022, but failed to capture silverware in 2023. He now heads home to Australia for an extended break over the Christmas period.
World number 26 Zhou had lost all three of his previous meetings with the Thunder from Down Under. That included a 6-2 loss in the 2020 UK Championship semi-finals and a 9-0 defeat in the 2020 European Masters final.
Victory for Zhou sets up a last 16 showdown with four-time World Champion John Higgins, who he has previously said he would like to mentor him at some point in the future. The Chengdu cueman will head into that clash with the legendary Scot full of confidence, having already come through two matches in qualifying, including a 6-5 win over Ian Burns on Judgement Day.
Zhou fired in a break of 80 to take the opener this evening, before Robertson claimed a tight second to restore parity at 1-1. A break of 134 from Zhou in the third was bettered when Robertson hammered in a stunning 135 in the fourth to head in for the mid-session level at 2-2.
When play resumed an inspired Zhou burst clear to romp to the finish line. Runs of 67, 99, 136 and 74 saw him rack up four on the bounce to seal an impressive 6-2 victory.
Zhou said: “I felt confident today and I felt comfortable. I know Neil is a very good opponent. He is very strong so I needed to give him pressure and I needed to be perfect. I did that.
“John Higgins is my favourite player and also my idol. I will enjoy playing against him. When I was younger I always watched him and Ronnie and Mark Williams too. For many years he has always been in the top eight. He is a very tough player.”
On the other table, Robert Milkins came through a pulsating encounter with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 to book a meeting with world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan in the second round.
Milkins was placed firmly on the back foot in the early stages of this encounter, when Un-Nooh composed breaks of 93, 127 and 85 to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.
The Gloucester cueman sprang into life after the break, embarking on a brilliant attempt at a 147. However, Milkins missed a tricky last red to end his run on 112. It was soon two on the bounce when he compiled a contribution of 99 in the seventh to make it 4-3. Un-Nooh then moved one from victory at 5-3, but Welsh Open champion Milkins refused to fade and hammered in a 121 to stay in touch at 5-4.
World number 14 Milkins then took a narrow tenth frame on the pink and claimed the decider to score an important victory which moves him to the verge of Masters qualification.
