Robert Milkins bowed out in the second round at the Crucible on Monday night but after staging an incredible comeback that just fell short the Gloucester cueman insisted he had never played better, writes Charlie Talbot-Smith.
The world No.19 qualified through to the main draw in Sheffield earlier this month and caused one of the shocks of the first round when he took down world No.2 Neil Robertson.
But it looked like the last-16 was a bridge too far for Milkins as world No.11 Ricky Walden raced into a 9-3 lead against the 37-year-old.
But playing at the Crucible for the first time since 2005, Milkins failed to be bowed and reduced his arrears to 10-6 over night on Sunday heading into Monday's final session.
And the comeback continued apace as he closed to only 12-11 down in the race to 13 before Walden held his nerve to compile a classy break of 86 and progress to the last-eight.
For Milkins it was a case of what might have been as a sluggish performance on Sunday left him with too much to do against the world No.13.
"I played really well to be honest, I think I played better there than I did against Neil and I put Ricky right under it," he said.
"The second session cost me and in the end I could not quite pull it back, I left myself a little bit too much to do.
"Ricky was not twitching at all but I was playing that well that he was not getting any chances and I was getting closer and closer.
"I knew if he had a chance he was going to punish me and his break in the last frame to win was superb.
"To be perfectly honest I think I played better this evening than I did in the first round against Neil Robertson but it was not to be."
After eight years away from the Crucible Milkins' return to the main draw was a victory in itself but after scalping Robertson and pushing Walden all the way the 37-year-old insists his confidence is now sky high.
"I will have only good memories of this week, to be Neil Robertson is great and it has given me a lot of confidence to take into next season," he added.
"Ricky is a great bloke, both on and off the table and I wish him well, he's got a great chance to go far into the tournament now."
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