Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Welsh Open snooker match.
In one of the most exciting matches of the second round of the Welsh Open, Noppon Saengkham will take on Luca Brecel.
Noppon Saengkham
Noppon Saengkham defeated Dylan Emery (4:1) in the first round, making breaks of 117, 54, and 53. He has been in good form through the Championship League, but an unfortunate loss to Jimmy Robertson in the qualifying round of the German Masters halted his momentum. Noppon is currently ranked 37th in the season rankings, meaning he is in urgent need of ranking points to break into the top 32 and secure a spot in the Grand Prix. Earlier in the season, Saengkham suffered defeats to Dominic Dale, Yuan Sijun, and Sean O’Sullivan, but since then, he has only lost to top 16 players, whom he has yet to consistently overcome.
Luca Brecel
Luca Brecel seems to be rediscovering the form that helped him win the 2023 World Championship. However, last season was disappointing, and if he does not make a breakthrough in the spring tournaments, he risks plummeting to 50th place in the rankings. Brecel showed promising signs at the Snooker Championship, reaching the final, but then lost to Kyren Wilson at the Masters and to Anthony McGill at the German Masters. It is worth noting that Brecel struggles against players like McGill, who disrupt his rhythm and force him into a tactical battle.
Noppon Saengkham vs Luca Brecel Prediction
However, Noppon Saengkham plays in a similar attacking style to Brecel, which makes this match one of the highlights of the second round in Llandudno. Although both players are capable of strong safety play, their main strengths lie in attack and high-scoring breaks. Their head-to-head matches have never been prolonged tactical battles—instead, one of them usually takes control early and dominates the match. Brecel is currently ranked 55th in the season standings, so he desperately needs not just a win today, but a deep run in the tournament to qualify for the Grand Prix. This means he must take risks and go on the attack. Either he succeeds and wins 4:1, or Noppon punishes his mistakes and secures a convincing victory himself.
