Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Xi'an Grand Prix snooker match.
Anthony McGill
Anthony McGill and Ricky Walden are just getting into shape this season. The Scot has played just three matches in the tournament qualifiers, beating Xing Zinao 5-0, Simon Blackwell 5-3 and losing to Lyu Haotian 0-4. McGill made just a few good breaks in those matches, meaning Anthony still has to get into good shape and get ready for the busy months of the season, as there will be a high value tournament in Saudi Arabia and a few tournaments in the UK.
Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden is in exactly the same situation. Walden had to work hard to beat Liu Hongyu 4-3 and Liam Davis 5-3 in the qualifiers, but Walden unexpectedly lost to Mostafa Dorgham 4-5. Walden had played three matches in the Championship League before that, but that can be ignored. This year McGill and Walden have already played at the Welsh Open and McGill won 4-3.
Anthony McGill - Ricky Walden Prediction
Both players are struggling with break building, but Walden is slightly better than McGill this season. Perhaps this will be the important factor in the head-to-head match. Both players are able to play in different situations and change their tactics. I agree that the chances of winning are equal for each, so I will assume that the match will be at least eight frames.
