Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Welsh Open snooker match.
Anthony McGill
After losing to He Guoqiang in the UK Championship qualifiers, Anthony McGill has had a very successful part of the season. McGill won two qualifiers comfortably, beating Reanne Evans (5:0) and Haydon Pinhey (5:0). At the German Masters, McGill defeated Pang Junxu (5:4), Luca Brecel (5:2), and Zhang Anda (5:2), only losing in the quarter-finals to the eventual winner, Kyren Wilson, in a deciding frame (5:4). Currently ranked 39th, McGill aims to climb even higher, but in recent years, he has struggled in the second half of the season, often lacking motivation for ongoing tournaments while waiting for the World Championship. We don’t expect much to change this year—we have no illusions that McGill has altered his approach. We believe it’s purely a psychological issue, and it would be surprising if he makes a deep run in the Welsh Open.
Liam Davies
Liam Davies is a talented young Welsh player making his debut on the tour this season. Davies earned his spot on the main tour after winning the European Youth Championship, where he defeated Artemijs Zizins (4:3) in the semi-finals and Antoni Kowalski (5:3) in the final. Both Kowalski and Zizins are currently competing on the tour and showing promising results for their age, making Davies’ place on the main tour well deserved. So far, Liam has not progressed past the second round of any tournament this season, though he has put in some impressive performances, including victories over Ken Doherty and Barry Hawkins.
Anthony McGill vs Liam Davies Prediction
In the first round of Welsh Open qualifying, Davies defeated Kowalski (4:1) with some excellent breaks. However, facing a more experienced and accomplished opponent will be a much tougher challenge, particularly with the added pressure of competing on home soil in the Home Nations series. Therefore, we expect a straightforward victory for McGill, most likely (4:1).
