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BEING 13th seed did not faze Gloucester’s Robert Milkins on Tuesday night as he eliminated John Higgins from the $500,000 Australian Snooker Goldfields Open in Bendigo.
After the seventh-seeded hit a 127 break to win frame one, Milkins struck back to win the next four on the table at Bendigo Stadium.
Higgins won the fifth frame, 81-1, but a 66-52 victory in the next meant Milkins had won 5-2 in the best-of-nine frame contest.
The night’s other match ended in a 5-0 win for Jamie Jones against Stephen Maguire.
In the afternoon’s session, China’s Xiao Guodong hit back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Liam Highfield.
After a 75-0 loss in frame one, Guodong won the next 54-26.
Highfield regained the lead after a 67-6 victory in frame three.
From there it was Guodong who reigned supreme as he rattled off the next four frames - 56-40, 70-56, 70-22 and 85-45.
Ireland’s Fergal O’Brien was knocked out of the title race by Matthew Stevens.
The match began with 53-48 and 69-10 wins by Stevens.
O’Brien achieved a game-high break of 69 to win frame three, 76-48.
Scores were locked up after the Irishman won the next, 72-54, but the fifth ended in a 70-37 win for Stevens in which he hit a break of 68.
Despite a break of 60 in the next frame, O’Brien was beaten 67-65.
Stevens won the seventh frame, 105-nil.
A highlight of Wednesday's play will be the appearance of No.1 seed and Australian star Neil Robertson.
Victorious in the weekend’s Wixu Classic in China, Robertson will take to the Bendigo tables at 7pm.
The 2010 world champion was runner-up at last year’s Goldfields Open.
He starts his latest campaign in Bendigo against Andrew Higginson at 7pm.
Wednesday's play hits off at 11.30am at Bendigo Stadium in Marong Road, West Bendigo. .