Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Champion of Champions match.
The central event will be the encounter between Mark Williams and Alfie Burden. The difference in class is clear, but we will determine where the most reliable bet lies.
Mark Williams
The world number four returns after a month-long break. Mark Williams last played in Xi'an, where he won the World Grand Prix title, beating Shaun Murphy 10:3 in the final. Before a respiratory infection, he was in superb form — 34 breaks of 50+ and 12 centuries during the tournament cycle. The Welshman remains among the best for long‑ and mid‑range pot success, and his consistency in break-building is a key factor against opponents at Alfie Burden’s level.
Alfie Burden
The World Seniors Championship winner appears only sporadically on the professional circuit. This season he has played only a few matches in the Q Tour and one Championship League Snooker event. His level is far from top tier: rare breaks over 70 and low conversion in positional play. Such form holds only against amateur seniors, not against the world top‑16 standard.
Mark Williams vs Alfie Burden Prediction
The difference in class and pace is obvious: Mark Williams is more assured in attack and more consistent in positional play. In the short-session format, it is highly likely he will quickly find rhythm and produce at least one powerful break. Given his recent statistics for high breaks (average top break in recent tournaments 124.6), it is reasonable to look towards his individual total for the highest break.
