At this China Open, Vafaei has played just six frames and won all six. After beating Liu Linhao 6:0, he received a walkover due to Mark Allen's withdrawal. That means the Iranian comes into the match against Bingham fresh, but without a long competitive match.
Stuart Bingham
Bingham's situation is the opposite. He has already come through a tough match against John Higgins, winning it 6:4, and before that thrashed Luca Brecel 6:0 in China Open qualifying. There was another short match in Shenzhen Open qualifying — a 5:2 win over Aaron Hill. Bingham is currently capable of punishing a run of errors quickly.
Hossein Vafaei
Vafaei has a similar pattern. The last five knockout matches he has actually played have all finished within nine frames: 6:3, 6:1, 5:1, 5:4 and 6:0. He either builds an early lead himself or allows his opponent to seize the initiative without a prolonged battle for momentum.
Stuart Bingham vs Hossein Vafaei Prediction
On paper, the pair look fairly evenly matched, which is precisely why under 9.5 frames looks more appealing here. For the bet to lose, at least a 6:4 scoreline is required, meaning the players need to remain close for a long time. Their recent matches have more often gone differently: one player takes a run of frames and moves ahead. The bet is under 9.5 frames.
