Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Players Championship match.
These two will meet again at the Players Championship. At the World Grand Prix, Shaun Murphy defeated Barry Hawkins (4-1).
Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy enjoyed a successful run at the World Grand Prix. He defeated Ben Woollaston (4-3) and Barry Hawkins comfortably (4-1). He then beat John Higgins (5-3) in the quarter-finals, despite Higgins being in excellent form recently. In the semi-finals against Neil Robertson, Murphy led 5-3 but ultimately lost (6-5), narrowly missing out on a place in the final. However, his performance indicated that Murphy is well-prepared for the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. This season, Murphy won the Masters, beating Kyren Wilson (10-7) in the final. He also reached the final of the Shanghai Masters, where he lost to Judd Trump (11-5).
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins has reached two tournament finals this season, losing to the same opponents as Murphy. He lost to Kyren Wilson (10-9) in the final of the German Masters and to Judd Trump (10-8) in the final of the UK Championship. It’s been a strong season for Hawkins thus far, and he has already secured his place in the Tour Championship. With the World Championship approaching, an event where Barry hasn’t performed well in recent years, he will be hoping to improve his record. Prior to the World Grand Prix, he reached the quarter-finals of the World Open, but struggled against lower-ranked opponents.
Barry Hawkins vs Shaun Murphy Prediction
Murphy and Hawkins have faced each other twice this season. Murphy won at the World Grand Prix (4-1), while Hawkins prevailed at the UK Championship (6-2). In their 18 career matches, Murphy has won 12. While Barry has had some success against Shaun in recent years, Murphy appears to have regained strong momentum heading into this match. With both players aiming to peak for the World Championship next month, this match provides an opportunity to fine-tune their game. Murphy has made twice as many century breaks as Hawkins and tends to perform well in open, attacking frames. Hawkins, on the other hand, is known for his patience and ability to capitalise on his opponent’s errors. For this match, the prediction is for Shaun Murphy to win.
