Gibraltar Open 2022 LIVE - Kyren Wilson to face Robert Milkins in showpiece event after big shocks

Thanks for your company this week, we'll see you again soon for more action from the World Snooker Tour. Stay well out there.

Milkins holds the trophy high as the confetti rains down around this arena. 'It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy,' says Joe Johnson in co-comms. What a moment for Milkins, and also for the whole tour. Some people who should know an awful lot better are highly critical of players that occupy ranking positions outside the top 30, and struggle to make it past the early rounds of tournaments. Before this week Milkins had only won two matches this season, and has been knocked out of four ranking events in the first round. Yet he kept plugging away, kept supporting the tour, stayed committed to the game and, finally, it's all paid off for him. Glorious, gold top stuff from the Milkman.

Wilson talks, and is as gracious in defeat as ever. He knows how big this is for his opponent. Milkins then stumbles some words out, but he seems a touch overwhelmed, and this hasn't sunk in for him yet. 'I've worked my whole life for this,' he says. I'll say; 27 years as a pro, and at 46 this was his first ever final. That's a whole lot of hard yards, a lot of self analysis, a lot of motorways in the wee hours of the morning. He dedicates the win to people who aren't around today to see this, specifically his mum and dad. It's a lovely speech, and you can't not be chuffed for Milkins. I hope he has a ball spending that fifty grand.

The greatest 44 break of his life secures the frame, and he's done it! Rob Milkins has won the Gibraltar Open! He's breaking down in tears as Wilson concedes. What a joyous, life-affirming moment!

This is more like it! Milkins calmly gets the black back onto its spot, and he's opened some reds into play soon after. He's going to do it! Frame ball red goes, the black follows for insurance, and what a story this is going to be!

Can he win this incrementally? He may have to. Milkins loses position again after potting the pink to nix another break in its early stages. Here comes chance four though, as Wilson catches the blue from a safety, but Milkins can't jab in a red with the rest and it spits out over the yellow pocket for Wilson. It's a tough table, and Milkins is soon back to it as a deadweight pink from Wilson rolls offline and comes off the lower knuckle of the middle. Chance number five for Milkins in this frame!

Milkins is in again, as Wilson leaves a red hanging over the bottom right and he drains it to land on the blue. It's a chance, but he misses the blue; he looks baffled again, and he's left Wilson in again. Pretty soon though, he gets his third chance of the frame as Wilson's break curtails on six as he leaves a red over the green pocket. Can he make this one count?

Given how tonight has gone, the chance to take this to a decider now will be music to Wilson's ears. As for Milkins, he might now have the theme from Jaws in his; one of the most fearsome competitors on the circuit is throwing everything at him to stay in this. Milkins gets in first in frame six, pots two reds and two blacks, but it's end of break when trying to force position on his next red doesn't work out.

He's a scrapper alright. Wilson lands a snooker behind the blue, and Milkins's attempt to escape misses. He duly concedes, and now Wilson needs one and Milkins two.

A superb snooker from Wilson forces an error from Milkins, who careers the cue ball into the black to give away seven. He now needs a snooker to tie, and soon flukes one outrageously. Wilson escapes though, and on we go. Milkins takes the chance to pot the red and a gimme black over the bottom right, and will go for the snooker he needs on the colours.

Wilson takes red-pink, but the remaining three reds are safe as is the yellow. We could be in for a long one here. Wilson then takes red-black, but can't shift the remaining two reds into position. No matter; he cuts one in along the rail to land on the black, and his lead moves to 32 when he stuns that in. He plays safe off the final red. That's now frame ball for Wilson, and Milkins needs the lot for the title.

Wilson plays his best shot of the night so far, draining a spectacular red into the bottom right as a shot to nothing. Milkins though soon fires back, and what courage - he rolls a deadweight red into the bottom right from distance to land on the black. He was leaving everything on if he missed, but he's going to go for it here, clearly. On 17 though, a nightmare; he misses a straight pink to the right middle, and throws his hands up in despair. As I type though, Wilson misses a black off its spot after his opening red! They're both on edge here. Milkins chokes a red in that shifts the black away from the bottom left, but he's not on it; we've got four reds left out there.

Milkins breaks, and leaves a long red on to the bottom right. Wilson misses by a long way, and leaves the same red on to the left middle. Milkins duly cuts it in, but then misses the yellow to leave Wilson in. That feels like a telling moment, and Wilson will have logged that Milkins is getting a little twitchy with the winning line in sight. Wilson starts racking points, but it's an awkward table with the black and pink tied up. He can only manage 26 before losing position, and plays safe back to baulk.

A 65 from Wilson banks the frame, and he's got a foothold in this final at last.

It's so edgy out there. Wilson almost misses a red to bottom right, which used all of the pocket to go in, but resumes control of his break with a deft stun shot to pot the black and free another red. He pots the second to last red, which is frame ball, and he's on the black; he'll be on the board in this final shortly.

Wilson draws level in the frame, but then misses a howler of a straight pink to the bottom left. Dear me, he's missed some shots tonight. Milkins can't make a cut to the bottom right though, and was on the black if he had; oh, what a chance gone begging there! Wilson is back in, and clips a red into the right middle to get away again.

Hampered by bridging over the brown, Wilson has a thrash at a long red to the bottom right and can't convert it. He's left one for Milkins, who plugs it and almost goes in-off in the left middle. It's nervy stuff, and after the blue, Milkins misses a red to the bottom left. Wilson has a long red to the yellow pocket to stay in the match, and drops it right into the heart of the pocket to land on the pink. BASE CAMP, as they say.

Milkins's career best performance before tonight has been in reaching six semi-finals; if he wins one of the next four frames he'll have the Gibraltar Open title and 50 large, after a 27-year slog on the pro circuit. What on earth must be going through his head right now? Saying 'stay calm' is easy when you're not in his position. Still, he keeps doing what he's been doing; a lovely long red is dispatched to start frame four, but he can't get on the black. Another shot to nothing is successfully converted a few shots later, from where he tucks Wilson up tight behind the yellow. Wilson needs four attempts to connect with his two-cushion escape, and Milkins crafts out a small lead as a result.

Finally Milkins gets a chance, and with the extended rest he cuts in the final red to the green pocket. The black and yellow follow, and the Milkman is now, sensationally, one frame away from the first ranking event win of his career!

Wilson takes red-pink and brings the black into play off the latter, before trying to lay a snooker on the final red. Eventually he gets one, and Milkins gives up four; two snookers now required. Wilson is giving this a right good go, laying another superb snooker behind the black, but this time Milkins escapes.

Milkins makes sure of frame ball to move 52 ahead with 43 remaining, but can't pot the pink thereafter to fully clinch it. Wilson will play on, but he needs three snookers.

Oof, Milkins will want this shot back; he pots the black, but somehow lands the white in no man's land and he's not on any of the remaining reds. Reprieve for Wilson! Not for long though, as another poor shot from Wilson leaves a red on to the left middle. Milkins drains it, and surely now he'll move to within one of the title...

It's a barrage of reds, pinks and blacks from Milkins, who calmly advances to a half century. You couldn't place the remaining five reds better with your hands, it's a practice table for him. Can he hold his nerve and see it home?

Wilson cues a lovely, straight red into the bottom right from distance, freezing the cue ball at the point of contact to hold for the black. Just as it looks like a sizeable visit is in the offing though, he misses a shocker of a short red to the right middle and he's left Milkins in! He's into the pack early too as he wipes out Wilson's meagre lead, and this is such a chance for 3-0!

Double your money! Wilson can't escape from a snooker by Milkins, missing the blue completely, and soon concedes the frame. Two-nil to the Milkman, he's halfway there!

After a seven minute safety exchange on the yellow Wilson forces an error, as Milkins leaves the yellow on as a cut close to the green pocket. Wilson lines it up...but he's rattled it and left it there! Milkins needs yellow and green, takes them both plus the brown to follow, and Wilson now needs two snookers to tie. The pink and black are well positioned for them near the left rail, so on we go.

A poor safety from Milkins leaves the final red over the left middle. Wilson pots it, but in trying to bring out the yellow he knocks it even safer and it's end of break. A good snooker to follow yields four points, but it looks like we're in for a long battle on these colours.

Both players pot a red each and no more. Milkins than tags another into the left middle after a poor safety from Wilson, and he's on the brown. That goes, another red and blue follow, but he can't being the final red off the bottom rail and has to play safe. It's all going his way at the moment; he escapes from a snooker and flukes one of his own, which draws a four point foul followed by an escape from Wilson that leaves a cut on the red to right middle. It's thin, and Milkins gets too much on it; the red goes safe, and Wilson is still in the frame.

Milkins steps straight in to take advantage, and plugs another nicely judged red with the rest. Wilson's lead is soon wiped out and Milkins is growing in confidence here, taking his break to 24, but he misses an attempted canon on three reds below the pink spot and it's end of break.

Wilson goes in-off at the start of the second, and after a safety exchange Milkins clatters in a long red followed by a tough cut on the green. His tail is right up, but this game can change in a heartbeat, and does; he misses a routine red thereafter and Wilson is in. It's not the easiest table with the pink tied up and black off its spot, but it's a chance and he starts taking it. On 23 though he has to cue over another red to go at the pink, and it rolls out off the knuckles of the left middle.

Hats off to Milkins! He steps in to empty the table with a 71 to move one frame in front! That was a cracking break as it took him a while to lasso position at the start.

It's a great effort this from the Milkman, who starts dishing up reds to reach 37 and leaves himself on the final red down the left rail. He jabs it in with the rest, followed by the pink. If he can dish the colours, which are all on their spots, he'll pinch the frame!

Another nice split when potting one red and colliding into others leaves Wilson on the black, but he rattles it in the jaws of the bottom left and it stays out. There's still 75 out there, everything is in the open and it's a great chance for Milkins to respond.

Wilson soon goes up for the pink to nix any fledgling hopes of the maxi. Bah! It's an imposing start from him though, as he opens the reds up after cracking in a plant and then takes the yellow with the rest to return to the red end of the table for his half-century. Wilson looks fully locked in here.

It's a poor start for Milkins, who catches the blue off the break and leaves Wilson a simple red to the bottom right to get going. It's pedal to the metal; four reds and blacks are down so far.

The boys are baized, it's time to get it popping. Best of seven for the title and fifty large.

The Milkman probably feels like he started his shift at 3am. It’s been a long day for Robert Milkins, with three consecutive 4-2 wins over Lyu Haotian, Ben Hancorn and Jak Jones. But oh boy, was it worth it; at 46 years old, he’s just reached the first ranking event final since turning professional in 1995. What a story – has he got one more win in him to bank a famous victory here?

After surviving a decider against Ricky Walden in the last four, Kyren Wilson reached his first ranking event final of the season. Tonight is a big deal for him; not only could he win the fifth ranking event of his career, but it could give him a good amount of gusto going into Sheffield, where he’s been hovering around the biggest title of all for the last two years.

Welcome back folks for the conclusion of the 2022 Gibraltar Open. In around 15 minutes we’ll have Kyren Wilson versus Robert Milkins on the baize, for a best of seven to decide the destination of this year’s title.

It'll be Kyren Wilson versus Robert Milkins for the Gibraltar Open title. See you then then!

What a finish to that match. Wilson will have to somehow compose himself now for the final in just over an hour, and the chance to win the fifth ranking event title of his career. Spare a thought here for Ricky Walden too; he had a fine match, and he's had a great season. Had he won that final frame and four more later on he'd have banker a quarter mill minimum as a result. Instead, he takes home six grand for reaching the semi-finals. John Higgins gets the £150,000 for finishing top of the European series instead, and will play in the Tour Championship next week instead of Walden. Thems are the breaks in this brutal sport.

Will Kyren Wilson ever make a more important 59 than this? He clears up to the pink, and he's nicked the decider!

Wilson does not lack for moxie. The tension of this situation sees him go out of position on blue and then a red, but he recovers it twice with nerveless pots to stay in control of the break. He's now onto the colours and will only need the baulk ones to leave Walden needing snookers...

Walden misses a long red, and catches another on his way back to baulk, but Wilson can't then convert a tricky red to the yellow pocket. That leaves Walden a mid-ranger to the bottom left, but he's missed it and left Wilson a cut on a red to the yellow pocket. Wilson commits everything, pots it, and then lands perfectly on the black after nudging into it. Shot, sir! It's a chance, but on his next red he rattles a red in and out of the jaws of the bottom left! Then Walden tries to clip said red into the same pocket with the rest...and he's left it in the jaws! My word, this is Springtime in Shredsville. What a chance now for Wilson, with all remaining reds in the open.

What a shot from Wilson! From baulk he makes a wafer thin cut on a red to right middle, and he's on the green. It's a chance, but after overrunning position on his next intended red he misses his alternative to the right middle. That could be huge, as he's left everything for Walden. A solid half-ton here might do it, and it's all there for Walden if he can compose himself. As it turns out he can't, as a booming shot on the green sees him overshoot the reds and land on nothing. Reprieve the second for Wilson.

Walden, welded to the bottom rail, pots his way out of trouble superbly by dropping in a deadweight red to the left middle to land on the blue. He gambled everything on that, and it paid off. What a chance this is. Walden takes his time - as you would - nudging his break to 17 before carelessly losing position in baulk and landing on nothing. He can't believe it, and Wilson gets a huge reprieve.

Wilson has lost his only two semi-finals this season, while Walden is chasing his first ranking event title for eight years. Financially for Walden, there's a load on this. If he's the last man standing tonight, he'll bank a cool 250 large from tournament prize money, entry to other tournaments and the bonus for finishing top of the European series. Lose this frame, and he'll see 'just' six grand. What a huge frame this is. It's tense early on, with lots of up table safety. Wilson misses a double by millimetres, while a plant from Walden kicks out off the high knuckle of the left middle. The reds are spread far and wide, and whoever gets in first here has a great chance to take this out in one hit.

Walden eventually drains the pink, and we're going all the way in this one!

A long, tense exchange of safety on the brown ends when Wilson traps Walden behind the pink, and in his attempt to escape Walden double kisses the brown and leaves it on. It's four pots for the final...and Wilson misses the brown! Oh my. He's not left it, but a few shots later he does leave it on and Walden needs brown and blue. The brown's there, and it's a thin one on the blue to the right middle...and it's in! Walden follows hat up with a shocking miss on the pink so Wilson will play on, but with the black right in the centre of the table it's a tall order.

Walden tidies up the remaining reds, bringing the final one into play after screwing into it off the blue. Only the colours now remain, and he needs up to the blue to force a decider. They look routine but Walden overcooks position on the green, requiring a deft cut with the rest to keep going. That retrieves perfect position...but he's missed the brown! The crowd were making a right din there as at that very moment Robert Milkins potted the black on the other table to win his semi-final 4-2. Did that put Walden off? He'll have to forget that quickly, as there are 22 huge points on the table now.

Walden miscues the black down the right rail. It drops, but leaves him only a brutally tough red across the table to keep going, with the white welded to the side cushion. He goes for it - or does he? That's missed by a huge margin and he may have been trying to drop the white behind the black. Wilson can't convert a long red to the green pocket thereafter, and Walden then drives a red into the yellow pocket to regain control.

Wilson almost loses position when going into the reds, but retrieves it with a delicate cut on a red to the bottom right with the spider. A pressure black soon after rattles out of the jaws of the bottom left though, and Walden gets another chance. There's a decent spread to go at, can he force a decider?

After some up table safety to start frame six, Wilson drains a stunning long red into the yellow pocket and then tucks Walden in tight behind the black. Some tense safety follows and Walden cracks first, catching the knuckle of the left middle when trying to send the white to baulk and leaving Wilson an easy starter. There are a lot of open reds out there, and this is a chance for frame and match for Wilson. The break is at 20 and counting so far.

He can indeed! A superb total clearance of 132 from Wilson leaves him one frame away from tonight's final.

Elsewhere, Robert Milkins has edged 3-2 ahead of Jak Jones in the other semi-final.

A little tickle of four reds below the pink develops them all, and the two reds and blacks needed are soon potted. Can Wilson turn this into a heavy ton?

Wilson is being very aggressive here, and it's working for him. He drains the pink with the rest and nudges more reds into play as he does so, and a half-century is on the board in no time. There are two open reds left and if he can take them both with blacks, then he should win the frame.

Best of three it is then. Walden fails to convert a long red at the start of the fifth, to which Wilson responds by snicking in a thin cut and then opening the pack off the green. He's on a red, and it's a chance; that was a gutsy shot and it's paid off for him. Will fortune favour the brave in this frame?

Light work. A breezy break from Walden sees him empty the table for a 102 to draw level.

On the other table it's also 2-2 between Jak Jones and Robert Milkins.

On 31 Walden negotiates a tricky positional shot with the rest, clipping in a red to come off two cushions and land perfectly on the black. That should be the key to the frame, and the way they're set I wouldn't be surprised to see the lot go here.

A good snooker from Wilson at the start of frame four draws six points when Walden catches the pink with his two cushion escape. Wilson then hands four back when he misses a thin contact safety on a red. After a safety exchange the first real chance of the frame falls to Wilson, handed an easy starter as Walden's attempt to rest the white on the pack slides off it. It's a chance, but it goes horribly wrong for Wilson when he pots the black, opening the pack with the same shot but sending a red in-off in the bottom right. They've split perfectly, and Walden's been given a practice table to go at.

It's back-to-back frames for Wilson as a 60 secures him the lead.

He's being very deliberate this, Wilson, as he crafts a precise break that takes him past the fifty point mark. The reds have been partially opened and he's just cleared out one that leaves a path for two others and the pink. This is excellent stuff, and he should see it home from here.

Wilson responds with 16 before landing high on the black and overcutting it to the bottom left. Walden then gambles everything on a tricky red down the right rail with the rest, and he misses it by a big margin. This is a huge chance now for Wilson, he will need to tickle apart a pack of five reds below the pink spot at some point in this visit.

A canny snooker from Walden at the start of the third forces an error from Wilson, who can't drop on a red near the bottom cushion and instead leaves one on to the bottom left. Walden makes a quick fire 26, but in trying to open the pack sticks on the reds and lands on nothing. His safety is poor too, missing his intended thin connection on a red and going off the angles to smack into the blue. That's such a poor shot, and it's five points and excellent position handed on a platter to Wilson.

A total of 77 banks the frame for Wilson.

On the other table, it's also 1-1 between Jak Jones and Robert Milkins.

Wilson tries to open a cluster below the pink after potting the green, misses the target, but still flukes position on the bottom red of the three which is frame ball. He calmly rolls it in, and we'll be all square shortly.

Now Wilson is up and running! Red-green-red are dispatched with three nerveless pots despite the degree of difficulty of each, and he then gets the black back on its spot. He almost loses position but regains it with an excellent cut back on a red to bottom right with the rest, and he's landed perfectly on the black. These are handily placed, and Wilson has arrived in this semi-final.

Wilson picks up seven at the start of frame two, as Walden clunks the black into the bottom left after playing a cross-double safety on a red. He gets in first too, stroking a red into the bottom left, but he misses the black off its spot straight after and it's served up a chance for Walden. It goes wrong quickly though, as a terrible positional shot when trying to get on the blue leaves him welded to the green and on nothing. That's a let off for Wilson.

Yet another pink takes Walden's break to 70 and that's enough for the frame. A total of 78 puts him one frame in front in this semi-final.

Walden survives another poor positional shot, rescuing his break with a delicate pot on the pink with the rest, and he soon reaches his half-century in this frame. It's a confident start, and there's enough in the open to win the frame at this visit.

It's a cagey start, with some eight minutes of safety taking place before Wilson blams a straight red long into the bottom right to hold for the blue. That's a glorious shot, but he soon misses his next red to the same pocket and he's handed a chance to Walden. There are points on here, more so when Walden opens a path for the pink to both corners, and he recovers well after slightly losing position after potting the pink. His response is 28 and counting so far.

Alisha Singh is introducing both sets of players, it's time. Best of seven it is for a place in the final tonight.

We’re down to the final four, folks. Jak Jones and Robert Milkins will square off shortly for one of the places in the final of the Gibraltar Open this evening; the other will be decided in our featured semi-final between Ricky Walden and Kyren Wilson.

Don’t blink would be my advice to you here. Earlier today, Walden hosed down reigning champion Judd Trump 4-0 before dispatching Jamie Jones 4-1 in his quarterfinal. Wilson hasn’t been hanging about either; he’s already thrashed Tom Ford and Ding Junhui, 4-0 and 4-1 respectively, earlier on.

The boys will be baized shortly.

- - -

Stream all of the action from the Gibraltar Open live and on-demand on discovery+