Rob Milkins has played a who’s who of snooker since turning professional in 1995 and rates Jack Lisowski as the best he has ever faced in practice or a match.
The pair have spent plenty of time practicing together over the years, with Milkins in Gloucester and Lisowski from Cheltenham, so they know each other’s games well.
The Gloucestershire pair have played five times in all competitions as professionals, with Jackpot winning four to the Milkman’s one.
They will be practicing together again ahead of the World Championship next month and Milkins is expecting to be picking a lot of balls out, rating Lisowski as good as anyone he has ever seen on the baize.
‘With Jack, he’s so good,’ Milkins told Metro.co.uk. ‘Even when he comes on your table, if you can come off 1-1 in sets, or even 2-1 down, if it’s quite close then you’ve done well.
‘He doesn’t really miss anything. He’s so good. When you think he breaks down he always finds something there and keeps potting. In practice he’s even more open than he is in matches.
‘He’s phenomenal, to tell you the truth. The best player I’ve ever played in matches or practice.’
Lisowski has had a bit of a nightmare season, with just one semi-final so far as he continues to hunt down his first ranking title.
Speaking at the World Grand Prix in January he admitted that he is struggling to enjoy the game as results and his best form are proving tough to come by.
‘I just don’t really enjoy playing anyone these days,’ Lisowski told ITV. ‘When I’m playing well I feel good but I’m just too in and out, so against anyone I’m not going to enjoy it at the moment.’
Milkins reckons this is just a bad patch for the 32-year-old, who still has plenty of time to fulfil his immense potential and when he lands his first piece of silverware, more will follow.
‘Little things can get people down, we all have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks,’ Milkins said. ‘He’s obviously not been feeling great, but he’s a class player.
‘Maybe he’s lost a bit of the urge to do well. But I think when he gets his first title he’ll kick on.
‘He’s still young in snooker terms. He’s one of the best at his age. The players at the top will be dropping down long before him, he’s got a lot to look forward to.’
Lisowski’s form this season has seen him drop out of the world’s top 16 so he will head to World Championship qualifying for the Crucible, which gets underway on 8 April in Sheffield.
MORE : Fergal O’Brien looks back on the ‘great joy’ of his snooker career as retirement looms
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