Adam Williams presents his prediction for the German Masters Qualifiers match.
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is gradually sliding down the overall rankings; the 2006 World Champion is currently in 56th place. Dott had a very good 2021/2022 season, reaching the semi-finals of the European Masters and the quarter-finals of the Turkish Masters. Since then, Graeme usually loses in the early rounds. This season, Dott reached the fourth round of the Saudi Arabian Masters, where he lost to Si Jiahui. In other tournaments, Dott has been eliminated early, but it should be noted that Graeme's opponents were often from the top 16, and Dott can no longer consistently defeat top 16 players.
Xing Zihao
Xing Zihao is very concerned about his place at the end of the season. Xing is currently 70th in the provisional end-of-season rankings. He needs to earn ranking points in the match with Dott to rise above 64th place, as Xing is set to face Judd Trump in the World Open qualifying round and will most likely lose. Therefore, the game against Dott is crucial. In yesterday’s match, Zihao defeated Ding Yang (4-3), despite being down 2-0 and 3-2. Graeme Dott is stronger than Ding Yang, and he is also motivated to secure a spot in the main draw of the German Masters to bolster his self-confidence.
Graeme Dott vs Xing Zihao Prediction
Graeme Dott is the favourite in this match, having had more success this season, but we believe that Xing has a chance to win. Xing is slightly better in break-building and has made more centuries than Dott. Xing is highly motivated to win and earn ranking points. Moreover, Xing defeated Dott (4-1) a year ago at the Northern Ireland Open. Therefore, we think that Zihao can win now, and we suggest a bet on Xing’s handicap of 1.5 frames.
