Why should Robertson not only win but cover the handicap here? The Australian is currently second in the world rankings and has already come through the first round of the China Open 6:3. In a first-to-six match, that is enough to show he has a clear class advantage.
Neil Robertson
Robertson is capable of winning frames in runs. If he gets a favourable position, he rarely stops at one frame: a strong opening attack quickly turns into a big break. In Shanghai, he edged Xiao Guodong 6:5, while here he has already taken six of nine frames from Chang Bingyu.
Si Jiahui
Si made a brighter start to the tournament — thrashing Jiang Jun 6:0. However, he still finds it difficult to maintain his level throughout a match against top players. At the Shanghai Masters, Wu Yize beat him 6:2, with the closing stages going to his opponent thanks to three consecutive centuries. Robertson has exactly the same ability — to punish one inaccurate spell by taking two or three frames in quick succession.
Neil Robertson vs Si Jiahui Prediction
They have met once: Si won 4:1 in 2023. The situation is different now. Robertson is the higher-level and more consistent player over a longer distance, while the first-to-six format gives the favourite time to show the difference. We are backing Neil Robertson with a -1.5 handicap: a scoreline such as 6:3 or 6:4 looks natural here.
