Adam Williams presents his prediction for the World Snooker Championship match.
The opening match of the World Championship will traditionally feature the current world champion, Kyren Wilson. Kyren’s opponent is Lei Peifan.
Kyren Wilson
The 33-year-old “Warrior” is the reigning world champion and currently ranked second in the world. Since his victory at the Crucible last year, Kyren Wilson has secured four ranking tournament titles. Notably, in three of those four finals, Kyren triumphed over one of the greatest players of our time and a long-standing snooker icon, Judd Trump. This represents a significant step forward for Wilson, who has long been in Trump’s shadow and is only now emerging as a dominant force in snooker. Kyren has also demonstrably improved his break-building capabilities. He passed the 500-century break milestone this season and currently sits 14th on the all-time list of most prolific century makers. Wilson is arguably in his prime and has many years ahead of him to accumulate further silverware.
Lei Peifan
There’s considerable attention surrounding this young, 21-year-old player. Lei made his debut on the tour in 2019 but initially struggled to make an impact. He often bowed out in the first or second round and failed to secure a permanent place on the main tour. However, fortunes changed ahead of the 2024/2025 season. Peifan won the Asia-Pacific Championship, defeating Vinnie Calabrese in the final. This victory earned Peifan a return to the main tour, and he’s been playing with renewed vigour. Lei reached the fifth round of the Saudi Arabian Masters and enjoyed a superb run at the Scottish Open, culminating in a 9-5 victory over Wu Yize in the final. In the World Championship qualifiers, Lei overcame David Lilley 10-6 and then, in a tense and dramatic encounter, edged out Gao Yang in a deciding frame, 10-9.
Kyren Wilson vs Lei Peifan Prediction
The big question is whether Kyren can break the Crucible curse and become world champion for the second consecutive year after his maiden title. Lei Peifan is a debutant and will undoubtedly put up a fight against the world champion, but Kyren possesses the greater pedigree and we anticipate he will progress to the next round. We believe Lei can pinch a few frames, but ultimately, Wilson will advance further in the tournament.
