Adam Williams presents his prediction for the World Snooker Championship match.
John Higgins and Xiao Guodong face each other in the second round of the World Championship. While Higgins feels right at home at the Crucible, Xiao has reached this stage only for the second time in his career.
John Higgins
The 49-year-old Scot is a living legend of snooker and a four-time World Champion, continuing to perform at the highest level. This season, John has won the Tour Championship and World Open, bringing his total to 33 ranking titles. Higgins excels in open play, as evidenced by his having compiled over 1000 century breaks, and his positional play and ability to withstand pressure at crucial moments inspire respect. In his first-round match, John secured a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Joe O’Connor. Despite failing to make a half-century in the first session, trailing 4-5, he produced his trademark snooker in the latter stages to clinch the win.
Xiao Guodong
The 36-year-old Xiao Guodong has enjoyed a breakthrough season. Xiao finally secured his maiden title at the Wuhan Open, and reached the final of the Champion of Champions, losing 10-6 to Mark Williams. Guodong also reached the semi-finals of the International Championship, Scottish Open, and German Masters. This represents significant progress for the “X-factor,” enabling him to break into the top 16 and secure automatic qualification for the Crucible. In his first-round match at the World Championship, Xiao confidently defeated Matthew Selt, compiling two centuries and five half-centuries. Guodong maintained control throughout, dictating the pace and keeping his opponent at bay.
John Higgins vs Xiao Guodong Prediction
This will be the third meeting between Xiao and Higgins in the past month. In the quarter-finals of the Players Championship, Higgins prevailed in a tight deciding frame 6-5. However, in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship, John dominated Guodong, winning 10-3. This will likely be another tactical battle, with Higgins waiting for Xiao to make mistakes and capitalising on any errors. Despite a slow start in his match against O’Connor, we anticipate that John will show his best snooker and progress to the next round. While Xiao has enjoyed a fantastic season, overcoming a player of Higgins’ level at the Crucible will be a tall order. We predict a 13-10 victory for John.
