Rob Milkins remembers eventful UK Championship debut and first Ding Junhui meeting

Rob Milkins is inactive competing astatine the UK Championship 28 years aft making his debut successful the event, erstwhile helium battled the elements arsenic good arsenic an all-time great.

The Milkman archetypal appeared successful the UK backmost successful 1996 arsenic a 20-year-old, beating Neal Foulds successful his opener earlier coming up against the ascendant unit successful the crippled astatine the time, Stephen Hendry.

Typical of the fashionable seasoned helium has an entertaining communicative from that lawsuit astir 3 decades ago.

‘I played Neal Foulds first,’ helium called. ‘It was snowing extracurricular but it was truthful blistery successful my country that I opened the window. I woke up the adjacent time and I’m not joking I couldn’t determination my arm!

‘I had a chill successful my arm. I was truly struggling, but I deliberation I bushed him rather easily, past I played Hendry. I deliberation I was 4-1 down, came backmost to 4-4, but past lost.

‘I’ve had immoderate crackers successful the UK, though. Beat Matthew [Stevens] 9-8 and mislaid to him arsenic well, precocious stages. Some large games. Played [Nigel] Bond 1 twelvemonth I was 7-2 down, bushed him. I utilized to bash alright successful the UK.’

Milkins faces different iconic fig successful the crippled connected Saturday nighttime successful York successful Ding Junhui, a subordinate helium remembers taking successful connected signifier 2 decades agone successful Northamptonshire.

‘I played him erstwhile years agone and helium didn’t privation to beryllium there, I don’t think,’ said the Milkman. ‘I bushed him 5-1, this was astatine Rushden years agone erstwhile helium archetypal came here.

‘Ding’s the nicest bloke connected tour, but astatine the clip helium didn’t cognize anyone, helium didn’t privation to beryllium playing me. Especially getting pumped arsenic well!

‘He wasn’t rude oregon nothing, due to the fact that helium ne'er is. He wasn’t successful his comfortableness portion and I tin recognize that due to the fact that it would beryllium the aforesaid if it was the different mode round. Must person been astir 20 years ago.’

Milkins has had a precise disappointing play truthful far, but played good successful qualifying for this lawsuit and is relishing a ace astatine Ding, who is successful bully signifier aft winning the caller International Championship.

‘It’s going to beryllium great,’ helium said. ‘Ding’s evidently a prime subordinate and helium looks to beryllium backmost connected form. He’s got the amended of me. I played him successful this a mates of years agone and helium pumped me.

‘It’s going to beryllium a pugnacious crippled but I’ve took the unit disconnected myself a small but this week, I’m free-rolling. It’s conscionable gone excessively acold now, I ain’t bothered due to the fact that erstwhile you conscionable support losing, losing, losing, who cares? I won a lucifer successful Belfast, won a mates successful this, truthful hopefully it’s changing.

‘I’ll beryllium inspired [playing Ding], it’s conscionable whether my crippled is bully capable to bushed him. My game’s really…not declined, due to the fact that I’m inactive hitting the shot good successful practice, but successful matches I’m losing 40-50 points a framework to what I was a mates of years ago, it’s a large thing.

‘I’m not playing obscurity adjacent similar what I should be, but retired determination it could beryllium a antithetic shot game.’