Neil Robertson is out of the World Championship

NEIL Robertson is out of the World Championship after falling to a surprise first round defeat to Robert Milkins.

The world number 2, who many tipped to be a major contender for the World crown, struggled to find his fluent form as Milkins fought back from 5-2 down to record a mighty impressive 10-8 victory.

Robertson follows Mark Williams, John Higgins, Mark Allen, Stephen Maguire and Matthew Stevens to have been defeated in the first round by this year’s qualifiers.

The win was special one for Milkins who was playing his first match at the famous Crucible Theatre arena in eight years. The Gloucester man, ranked 19 in the world, will take on Ricky Walden in the second round.

Trailing 5-4 at the start of the final session, Milkins levelled up winning the first frame which lasted more than 45 minutes before he won the next frame to go in front at 6-5.

Robertson levelled with a break of 86 before the next four frames were shared to leave the score at 8-8 and all set for a very close finish.

But Milkins, nicknamed The Milkman, was not going to bottle his chances of creating the biggest upset of the competition so far as he took the next frame by potting the crucial final brown.

And he clinched a famous win, arguably his biggest of his career, in frame 18 despite missing a routine blue on a break of 51. Robertson was unable to counter and when he went in-off when playing safe it was the final nail in the coffin for the recent China Open winner.

Meanwhile on table one, Shaun Murphy enjoyed a solid start to his second round encounter against fellow former world champion Graeme Dott.

Murphy, who his chasing his second World Championship title after winning in 2005, won six of the first eight frames against the Scot.

Dott will hope to fight back when the players return for the second session on Friday morning.