Robert Milkins: Gibraltar Open champ 'absolutely devastated' by his drunken antics before the Turkish Masters

Robert Milkins says he is «absolutely devastated» at the reaction to his drunken evening at the Turkish Masters in March. The world No. 44 lost 5-4 to former UK holder Ding Junhui from 4-1 up at the inaugural event in Antalya, less than 48 hours after he was apparently rushed to hospital to have his stomach pumped due to excess boozing.

Ad/> Reports claim Milkins – who is nicknamed 'The Milkman' and chooses 'I am a Cider Drinker' by The Worzels as his walk-on music – became involved in verbal exchanges with guests and WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson at the red-carpet opening ceremony at the Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel, which was hosting the tournament. Gibraltar OpenMilkins on March: From scandal in Turkey to rock of Gibraltar after epic month27/03/2022 AT 18:37 Milkins has since won his first career title at the Gibraltar Open, beating Kyren Wilson in the final. Having had time to reflect on his controversial night out in Turkey, he admits he did not expect such a fierce backlash.

«I’m absolutely devastated with what happened,» he told The Metro. «I still don’t really know what happened, I was completely out of it. It's been a bit tough and the worst of it all was when it got published.

I was out of order, I hold my hands up, I’ve apologised to everyone and everyone seemed okay with me, but then it all escalated, it was everywhere. »It was obviously bad, but I didn’t think someone 100 in the world on the one-year list getting drunk, falling over and being out of order would make the papers. «I was devastated, but I can’t turn the clock back, I’ll just get on with it now and let my snooker do the talking.