Adam Williams presents his prediction for the World Snooker Championship match.
The first-round match of the World Championship between John Higgins and Joe O’Connor will be a repeat of their recent World Open final.
John Higgins
The four-time world champion enters the final tournament of the season in excellent form. The winner of 33 ranking events, Higgins is one of the three most successful players in history, alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. Higgins has already triumphed at the World Open and Tour Championship this season. He also played in the final of the British Open, but ultimately lost to Mark Selby 9-5. Despite Higgins approaching his 50th birthday, he remains ranked third in the world, a testament to his exceptional physical condition, positional play, unwavering mentality, and ability to secure crucial frames.
Joe O’Connor
A talented 28-year-old snooker player from Leicester, Joe O’Connor has consistently improved year on year. Since making his debut on the main tour in 2018, he has quickly attracted attention due to his confident positional play and composure. Joe has steadily cultivated his skill set and confidence. O’Connor has a balanced style – his accurate long-range shots are combined with mature tactical play, and his composure in decisive moments has frequently enabled him to overcome more titled opponents. Joe is yet to win a ranking title, but he has featured in two finals. In the final of the Scottish Open 2022, he was defeated by Gary Wilson 9-2, and in the final of the World Open this season, he lost to John Higgins 10-6.
John Higgins vs Joe O’Connor Prediction
This match promises to be a tactical battle. Higgins is undoubtedly the favourite, owing to his superior class and experience. However, O’Connor is capable of posing problems if he can manage to avoid long positional duels. In the recent World Open final, John took the initiative straight away and had a great first session. We think we will see a lot of good breaks, and therefore, we will offer a bet on the total over 12.5 half centuries.
