Wednesday 16 December 2015

German Masters Qualifying Preview

As the last job for the snooker players before they can enjoy the Christmas break, it's time for them to head off to Robin Park and attempt to qualify for February's German Masters. For most of the lower ranked players this will be their last action until February, whether they qualify or not. The final stages of the event run from February 3rd to 7th, roughly a month and a half after we finish up in Wigan on the 20th. If not the China Open qualifiers practically follow Berlin, taking place from the 9th-11th.

Only three players inside of the top 64 are non-entries and for the first time this season one of them is NOT Ronnie O'Sullivan who makes his comeback to play for the first time since the World Championships. The three that are missing from the top 64 are Matt Selt, Tom Ford and Gary Wilson.

The format for qualifying sees two rounds which will end up taking 32 players over to the Tempodrome in Berlin, the same as last year. That in my opinion is probably the best thing for this particular event at this particular venue and I like the format of the 32 at the venue and it's really not too strenuous to hold two rounds of qualifying in a flat 128 draw. It does give the potential for further shocks and less top 16 players at the venue especially as the minds of some may switch towards Christmas with qualifying ending just a few days before Father Christmas falls down everyone's chimneys.

The easiest way to preview the qualifying is to split the draw into the 32 sections which will generate the 32 qualifiers, as I will attempt to predict the Last 128 round winners and who will make it through from the four players in each qualifying section.

Qualifying Section 1

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Mark Selby W/O Kuldesh Johal
Sam Baird Vs David Morris

At the top of the draw, I do not feel that Mark Selby should have too many problems in qualifying to defend his German Masters title in Berlin. Kuldesh Johal's withdrawal means a first round walkover. His second round opponent will come through what looks a tight match between Baird and Morris, but right now Sam has to be favourite with David struggling, to the point that the Irishman is 65th on the provisional end of season seedings and under a lot of pressure. Meanwhile, for Baird it took eventual winner Marco Fu to see him off in the Last 64 in Gibraltar making a 147 in that match to win 4-2 so Sam gave him a good run. However, you would still not expect Mark to lose and Sam is really his greatest threat.

Predicted Qualifier: Mark Selby

Qualifying Section 2

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Dominic Dale Vs Andy Hicks
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Vs Steven Hallworth

This section is an interesting little one in the draw. Andy Hicks of course came very close to beating Barry Hawkins at the UK, but Barry was in poor form on that occasion. On this occasion his opponent is Dominic Dale who I make the favourite to qualify from this section after Last 16 and quarter-final appearances in his last two European Tour events, showing some good form on those runs. Steven Hallworth has struggled badly for victories in all of the time he has been on tour so you wouldn't think Thepchaiya Un-Nooh would have many problems winning that match, but will have tougher ride against Dale. That would certainly be a close call if it happened but Thepchaiya struggled to a first round exit in Gibraltar while Dominic's form looks good and I would give him the slightest of edges.

Predicted Qualifier: Dominic Dale

Qualifying Section 3

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Stephen Maguire Vs Chris Wakelin
Andrew Higginson Vs Joe O'Connor

Stephen Maguire of course is the stand out name in Section 3, with his first round opponent Chris Wakelin a potential sticking point. Maguire's form has been mixed at best this season, while Wakelin does have a good habit of picking up good and important results so Stephen will certainly have a match on, and a potential upset could loom there. Andrew Higginson looked pretty good in making the Gibraltar last 16 over the weekend and while Joe O'Connor could cause him some trouble I think Andrew will be efficient enough to come through that. If Stephen Maguire does make it through his first match, he will be at short odds to beat Higginson and make it through to Berlin, where he was a semi-finalist back in February.

Predicted Qualifier: Stephen Maguire

Qualifying Section 4

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Michael White Vs Sanderson Lam
Ken Doherty Vs Michael Georgiou

Following a run to the final in Gibraltar Open on Sunday, Michael White is the stand out man in this section and he is a heavy favourite to qualify for the Tempodrome. If he carries on that form you would not think Lam will do anything that he cannot counteract and, as for Ken Doherty and Michael Georgiou I expect their match to be quite a scrap with Georgiou's end of season seedings position looking pretty precarious. Neither Ken or Georgiou's form is too good at the moment, and therefore it would surprise me if White did not follow a runners-up finish at the weekend with qualification for the German Masters.

Predicted Qualifier: Michael White

Qualifying Section 5

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Jamie Burnett Vs Zak Surety
Graeme Dott W/O Fraser Patrick

Next up we have a section dominated by Scottish players with Zak Surety proving the odd one out of the four. Unfortunately, Fraser Patrick as one of those four has withdrawn to hand Graeme Dott a first round walkover. I also do not think this section is too clear cut and is certainly one where my prediction could be proven badly wrong. Jamie Burnett of course made the last 16 of the UK Championship and played very well to do so, nearly defeating Higgins when he got there. Surety does not have too much form behind him but Jamie is not the most consistent so it certainly would not surprise you if he was beaten here. Graeme Dott has not got too much form behind him either and whether he ultimately has a trip to Berlin coming in February is down to whether he can add something to his recent performance levels, or if Burnett can carry on his run from York.

Predicted Qualifier: Graeme Dott

Qualifying Section 6

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Tian Pengfei Vs Lu Chenwei
Ding Junhui Vs Gareth Allen

From a Scottish dominated section to a Chinese dominated section, Gareth Allen is the odd one out on this occasion, but all the focus will be on one Chinaman in particular and that of course is Ding Junhui. After a first round exit at the UK Championship he really struggled to a defeat in the second round in Gibraltar, after a first round walkover after the withdrawal of Shaun Murphy. The way he is playing right now I just think he will find a way to lose one of the two games he has to play to qualify for the venue and for me the obvious beneficiary of that is Tian Pengfei. Tian has been in decent form this season picking up more results than previously and his match against Lu Chenwei is one he should come through comfortably. Gareth Allen has a chance against Ding the way things have been going, but if he does not beat Ding I certainly think Tian will to qualify for Berlin himself.

Predicted Qualifier: Tian Pengfei

Qualifying Section 7 

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Mike Dunn Vs Sydney Wilson
Alan McManus Vs James Wattana

Without wanting to totally right off Sydney Wilson or James Wattana, the qualifier from these four is one you would expect to be a fight between McManus and Dunn. Over recent times Dunn probably has the slightly better form on Alan who has not fared quite as well at the start of this season. Mike has particularly impressed on the European Tour with some good results there and I certainly would not expect him to lose against Wilson in the first qualifying round. It is never an easy game against Alan, but as I say his form has not been too impressive of late, so Mike has to be the favourite for qualification and rightly so.

Predicted Qualifier: Mike Dunn

Qualifying Section 8 

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Zhou Yuelong Vs Zhang Yong
Barry Hawkins Vs Luke Simmonds

This looks like another section where it is all about the two seeded players. Zhang Yong has failed to impress at any stage of his time on tour so far, and Zhou Yuelong has been playing very well over the course of this season so you would expect him to come through comfortably. Luke Simmonds is not an amateur I know a lot about, which mean he has not had too many memorable results and as long as Barry shows a slight improvement on his UK Championship showing he should win that match easily. It will not be an easy match against Zhou Yuelong though and as I say, he will really have to improve on his poor York performances or the young Chinese player will be going to Berlin. This was certainly a tight call between Zhou and Hawkins and while I have put Barry to come through it would not shock me if I was wrong.

Predicted Qualifier: Barry Hawkins

Qualifying Section 9

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Judd Trump Vs Peter Lines
David Grace Vs Rhys Clark

When you're in Peter Lines' position needing regular results to have any chance of saving your tour spot, the first round draw you don't want is Judd Trump. Judd hasn't been the most consistent player of the season but he should beat Lines comfortably. David Grace meanwhile is riding a wave at the moment and his draw against Rhys Clark is one that he should win if his good form continues. While Grace will cause problems for Judd, I just can't see Judd missing out on Berlin.

Predicted Qualifier: Judd Trump

Qualifying Section 10

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Ali Carter Vs Barry Pinches
Jimmy Robertson Vs Jason Weston

Again this looks very much like a section of two players. With no offence to Barry Pinches or Jason Weston but you would expect both Carter and Jimmy Robertson to come through those respective first round games. Jimmy has had some good results this season in patches, although a recent first round exit in Gibraltar does not keep with that pattern. Ali has been playing decent stuff but is still not back to his best. Pinches shouldn't be a problem but Jimmy will cause him some problems and I would expect a match between those two guys to go quite close. Spurred on by the memories of his win in 2012 at the Tempodrome and still playing good stuff as I say, I think Ali will edge this one.

Predicted Qualifier: Ali Carter

Qualifying Section 11

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Ricky Walden Vs Alfie Burden
Robin Hull Vs Paul Davison

This is one of the most interesting sections involving a higher seeded player. Ricky has been struggling recently, which is to be expected after the birth of his first child in September. There are a lot of easier first round draws out there than the one he has landed against Alfie Burden, especially after Burden showed good form to make the quarter-finals of the Gibraltar Open and narrowly lose out to Michael White in the end. If he keeps that up then I can certainly see him beating Ricky. Then of course you have Robin Hull who beat Barry Hawkins on the way to the Last 32 of the UK Championships and is certainly ranked a lot lower than he should be. I'm always impressed by Hull and he was unlucky last year in German Masters qualifying losing out narrowly to Mark Allen. If he's in good touch he should beat Paul Davison (who is usually a tough player to beat also). There is certainly the potential in the section that Hull has here for him to win the two matches required to qualify for Germany.

Predicted Qualifier: Robin Hull

Qualifying Section 12

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Robert Milkins Vs Zhang Anda
Dechawat Poomjaeng Vs Tony Drago

With Dechawat Poomjaeng playing Tony Drago this is by far the most fun section of the entire draw. In reality Poomjaeng should beat Drago comfortably these days but with those two anything could happen. The other match in this section has a similar feel as Zhang Anda takes on Robert Milkins. Robert has been in very poor form this season, and while he ended last year contending for a top 16 seed at the Crucible, he is now slipping further away from that and Zhang could certainly take advantage. I would actually say that out of the four Zhang probably looks like the strongest of the four in terms of their form over the course of the season, as he has picked up some decent results.

Predicted Qualifier: Zhang Anda

Qualifying Section 13

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Gerard Greene Vs Nigel Bond
Martin Gould Vs Joel Walker

Gerard Greene is the name to look out for in this section as he hovers in 64th position on the provisional end of season seedings. That shows how much he is struggling and no match against Nigel Bond is an easy one, particularly after he had a confidence boosting run to the Last 16 at the weekend. Martin Gould is the stand out favourite for this section, in the best form out of everyone. Joel Walker is a very talented player but like most young players seems to be struggling with confidence after failing to live up to good results achieved earlier on in their careers. I would be surprised if it isn't Martin who is on the plane to Berlin come February.

Predicted Qualifier: Martin Gould

Qualifying Section 14

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Li Hang Vs Hatem Yassin
Mark Williams Vs Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon

This section is really between two players again you have to believe. Hatem Yassin is yet to show any signs of quality whatsoever while I'm not even sure how Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon is still on the tour. Li Hang though can cause problems for Mark Williams in the Last 64 as Mark's form has dipped just a little over the last month since the Bulgarian Open where he made the semi-finals. I still expect Williams to be on the plane to Berlin but there is still some potential for an upset here.

Predicted Qualifier: Mark Williams

Qualifying Section 15

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Xiao Guodong Vs Lee Walker
Ben Woollaston Vs Sam Craigie

This is another very interesting section of the draw. First off, Xiao Guodong has been struggling this season for any form or results and is certainly vulnerable against Lee Walker who has picked up some very nice results against higher ranked opposition already this season so I have no hesitation in saying that Walker is my pick to win that game. Ben Woollaston would be the most likely of the four to qualify but again, there are far easier matches in the first round than Sam Craigie. Sam is a very impressive amateur player and he'll be a main tour pro in no time at all if he carries on working hard. Woollaston though has the quality and experience to get through and qualify for the Tempodrome in Berlin.

Predicted Qualifier: Ben Woollaston

Qualifying Section 16

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Oliver Lines Vs Lu Ning
Shaun Murphy Vs Michael Wasley

Obviously, the main man in this section is world number 4 Shaun Murphy. Shaun was the runner-up in Germany last year and is desperate to get back to the Tempodrome and go one better. His first round opponent Michael Wasley has been struggling for a long time now for results and that has battered his confidence but going into this match that could do him good as he might be able to relax if he is expecting another defeat. Oliver Lines also presents another tough hurdle to get over if Shaun can beat Wasley, as I expect Lines to beat Lu Ning comfortably. Lines showed good form in making the Last 16 in Gibraltar but the experience of Shaun could be the decisive factor in these qualifiers.

Predicted Qualifier: Shaun Murphy

Qualifying Section 17

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Neil Robertson Vs Ashley Hugill
Cao Yupeng Vs Zhao Xintong

Looking at this section with Neil Robertson, his biggest threats come from the amateurs Ashley Hugill who has been unlucky to constantly draw top 16 players when playing in pro events this season but he looks like a strong player nonetheless. Zhao Xintong of course is another top quality player and with Cao Yupeng struggling this season it looks like another opportunity for him to pick up a win after qualifying for Daqing whitewashing Stuart Carrington. With Robertson's great experience and superb recent form to win the UK Championship with a 147 I would be stunned if he isn't in Berlin.

Predicted Qualifier: Neil Robertson

Qualifying Section 18

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Jamie Jones Vs Adam Duffy
Luca Brecel Vs James Cahill

It's all about the youth in this section with the likes of Brecel, Jones and Cahill all battling for a place in Berlin. Luca Brecel has been looking in good form lately making the Last 16 of both the UK Championships and Gibraltar Open and he is more than capable of the two wins required to qualify. With Cahill struggling for results this season his greatest threat probably comes from Jamie Jones. Jones doesn't have the easiest of first round ties against Adam Duffy who of course beat Ding Junhui at the UK Championships. He is certainly playing well enough to get through to the Last 64 where, if he plays Luca it will be a tough match and one that could go all the way.

Predicted Qualifier: Luca Brecel

Qualifying Section 19

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Marco Fu Vs Hammad Miah
Yu De Lu Vs Liam Highfield

The star man as we move on to the next section is clearly Gibraltar Open champion Marco Fu. He faces Hammad Miah in the first round who has picked up some top results this season as an amateur but with the form Fu is in he should get through comfortably. Then he would play Yu De Lu or Liam Highfield. Both need results for their standings on the end of season seedings, with Highfield in the most trouble. Yu is probably in the best form out of the two, but if it goes close it is anyone's game. Whoever does win, Marco will be a big favourite once again to get through and it would surprise me if he failed to win his two matches in Wigan this week.

Predicted Qualifier: Marco Fu

Qualifying Section 20

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

David Gilbert Vs Martin O'Donnell
Kurt Maflin Vs Jamie Barrett

This section is an interesting one indeed. Starting off with Kurt Maflin, he has been struggling a lot this season but I know little about his opponent Jamie Barrett in round one, and he should get through that comfortably. David Gilbert had been in good form prior to a first round exit to an amateur in Gibraltar which was a great surprise. That may have been down to conditions that were less than top class, and I would still expect him to beat Martin O'Donnell in round one, and if Kurt is struggling for confidence as well as form then you have to make Gilbert the favourite to come through the whole section.

Predicted Qualifier: David Gilbert

Qualifying Section 21

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Mark Joyce Vs Alex Taubman
Mark Davis Vs Ross Muir

Mark Davis is the strong favourite to qualify out of these four players in my opinion. Mark Joyce followed up defeat from 5-0 up in the UK Championships with a loss to an amateur qualifier in Gibraltar and I don't expect his struggles to ease anytime soon. Alex Taubman will give Joyce a good game and has a chance of victory but I would be surprised if he won the two matches to qualify. Muir is probably the biggest threat to Davis as he has picked up a decent result or two over the last few months, so he will have to be on his game to get past Ross but if he does he should be booking a flight to Germany for the beginning of February.

Predicted Qualifier: Mark Davis

Qualifying Section 22

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Robbie Williams Vs Noppon Saengkham
Mark Allen Vs Duane Jones

This looks like another section that is a two horse race for the qualifying spot. Duane Jones has struggled since getting a tour card from Q School and with the form Allen is in that should be quite comfortable for the Northern Irishman. Robbie Williams is in good enough shape to beat the inconsistent Noppon Saengkham. Allen has been in good form over the last couple of months and despite the fact I don't think it will be a cake walk, he should qualify for the Last 32.

Predicted Qualifier: Mark Allen

Qualifying Section 23

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Mark King Vs Jimmy White
Anthony McGill Vs Michael Wild

A two horse race looking section once again, I can't see Jimmy White or Michael Wild causing problems for King and McGill between which it will be a tough fight for qualification. If Mark carries on from his form in Gibraltar he will take some beating, while Anthony is always a difficult player to get past. Overall, it's a coin flip of a prediction as I go on the most recent form in Gibraltar.

Predicted Qualifier: Mark King

Qualifying Section 24

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Stuart Carrington Vs Jamie Cope
Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs Hamza Akbar

All about Ronnie in section 24. If he turns up and plays like he can then there isn't a foreseeable problem in this section. Hamza Akbar should be a breeze while Stuart Carrington is most likely to be his second round opponent, as Jamie Cope's form still looks quite shaky despite good results earlier in the season. Stuart could slow Ronnie down and frustrate him, but as long as is playing well and can deal with that then the Rocket will be at the Tempodrome for the second consecutive year.

Predicted Qualifier: Ronnie O'Sullivan

Qualifying Section 25

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

John Higgins Vs Ian Glover
Aditya Mehta Vs Ian Burns

John Higgins is the clear favourite in this section as Ronnie was in the last. Ian Glover shouldn't prove much opposition for a player in John's form while Aditya Mehta and Ian Burns will have a dogfight in round one that will more than likely need at least eight of the nine frames available either way. Higgins has been playing far too well and with Christmas in sight and the great Tempodrome venue the incentive to keep all of that going it would shock me if the Scotsman fails to qualify.

Predicted Qualifier: John Higgins

Qualifying Section 26

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Michael Holt Vs Sean O'Sullivan
Rod Lawler Vs Craig Steadman

Arguably one of the toughest sections of the draw, all four players have a genuine chance against the others on their respective strong days. Sean O'Sullivan has been going really well this season, picking up results against the lower ranked players and he can easily cause a slight upset against Holt. Michael has showed signs of improvement under Griffiths but is far from invincible in this section. Rod Lawler beat Judd Trump in Gibraltar before losing in the Last 32 to eventual runner-up White and is part of the "pint of blood" brigade who give every shot their upmost to make it difficult for their opponents. Craig Steadman is also a tough player to beat and needs results to keep in the top 64 on the end of season rankings to remain on tour so Rod has certainly got a game on there. As I say it was very tough to pick anyone out in this section to qualify as it is a little bit like flipping coins or drawing straws.

Predicted Qualifier: Rod Lawler

Qualifying Section 27

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Joe Perry Vs Chris Melling
Rory McLeod Vs Vinnie Calabrese

Joe Perry is obviously the stand out in this section. Chris Melling has been badly struggling for results and will have to play a lot better if he is to beat Perry in the first round. Rory McLeod has failed to win a single match since winning the Ruhr Open in October so he will need to improve, but Vinnie Calabrese is another who has barely won a game all season. Overall, you'd say McLeod should beat Vinnie but that is far from guaranteed while Perry is a huge favourite to be playing at the Tempodrome in the Last 32.

Predicted Qualifier: Joe Perry

Qualifying Section 28

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Kyren Wilson Vs Jake Nicholson
Jack Lisowski Vs Thor Chuan Leong

Kyren Wilson is obviously a clear favourite to beat amateur Jake Nicholson while the winner of the second Last 128 game making up this section is not so clear. Thor Chuan Leong has not impressed in a ranking event as yet but in the European Tour events he has a habit of getting a few surprise wins every now and again, while Jack Lisowski has shown improvements under Terry Griffiths but needs to sort out his consistency. With that match very much a tight call it leaves only one man that I can pick out to qualify, and I think Wilson would be disappointed not to the end year with a couple of wins in Wigan.

Predicted Qualifier: Kyren Wilson

Qualifying Section 29

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Matthew Stevens Vs Itaro Santos
Ryan Day Vs Scott Donaldson

Similarly, this section looks like having a clear favourite in Ryan Day. He may not have had the results at the UK Championships and in Gibraltar that he would want but is still in decent enough form to get through this section. Scott Donaldson is Ryan's first round opponent and he lost to Anthony Hamilton in the first round of Gibraltar by a wide margin and that has the feel of a match Ryan could run away with too. The other Welshman occupying this section is Matthew Stevens and he takes on Brazilian Itaro Santos who we have not seen too much of yet on tour. If Stevens continued decline is anything to go by, Itaro has a chance there but I don't believe he has much chance of winning two matches to qualify and for that reason my choice is obvious.

Predicted Qualifier: Ryan Day

Qualifying Section 30

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Joe Swail Vs Allan Taylor
Liang Wenbo Vs Eden Sharav

Liang Wenbo is by far the in form man in section 30 as he looks to complete the year with German Masters qualification after making the semi-finals there last year, and recently reaching the UK final and Gibraltar Open semi's. His opponent Eden Sharav in round one has done little of substance since coming through Q School in May but he could pose a problem or two for Liang but you would expect the in form Chinaman to come through. Joe Swail regained some form with a run to the Last 16 of the UK Championships after laser eye surgery in recent times. He should come through his match against Allan Taylor who has failed to impress me again this year. Overall, I think Wenbo will really take some stopping and his closest competition for a spot in Berlin comes from Joe Swail if they meet in the Last 64.

Predicted Qualifier: Liang Wenbo

Qualifying Section 31

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Fergal O'Brien Vs Hossein Vafei Ayouri
Peter Ebdon Vs Mitchell Mann

Up in the penultimate section of the draw we have 4 very interesting players. Fergal O'Brien is always tough to beat but as we know Hossein Vafei Ayouri is very talented and was actually beaten 4-3 by Ryan Day in Gibraltar at the weekend despite two breaks of 51, a 53 and a 101. I think that will be a close one, but you always have to favour Fergal a little more on that basis. Peter Ebdon takes on Mitchell Mann in the other first round tie and that could be quite one sided if Mitchell doesn't get a good start. Ebdon made the Last 16 in Gibraltar and York while Mann has struggled to get even a single win at times throughout the season so far. If Peter can show the form of the early rounds in York with some consistency again here then I think he would slightly edge out Fergal to qualify for Germany where he was beaten by eventual champion Mark Selby in the last 16 in February.

Predicted Qualifier: Peter Ebdon

Qualifying Section 32

Last 128 Draw: (Picks in Bold)

Anthony Hamilton Vs Darryl Hill
Stuart Bingham Vs Daniel Wells

Finally, we have the draw of our world champion Stuart Bingham. He faces Daniel Wells in the first round which is a relatively tough game if Wells scores like he can there, and he actually would have met Bingham in the Last 16 at the weekend had he have beaten Nigel Bond in the Last 32. Stuart though looked like he was back to some form with a run to the semi-finals which should now get him into the Players Championship finals. As world champion he would not want the annoyance of not qualifying for the venue in Berlin. Anthony Hamilton against Darryl Hill is the other first round match in this section. Anthony has had a confidence boosting couple of weeks after beating Peter Lines at the UK Championship, before losing to Stuart Bingham on the TV although he did put up a very good fight and looked in decent shape. In Gibraltar he overcame both Scott Donaldson and Michael Holt before losing out to Andrew Higginson and he will have to continue showing form like that if he is to get back into the top 64 and stay on tour. I think we will have a repeat of the Last 64 in the UK Championship here between Hamilton and Bingham and I would still fancy Stuart to win again although it could certainly be a close run thing.

Predicted Qualifier: Stuart Bingham


As you know, that's not it for the blog in 2015 as the Christmas features will soon be upon. The Player of the Month and Moment of the Month countdowns will begin on December 20th, while the Classic Matches of 2015 Countdown begins on December 21st. If you are in the Wigan region it is also worth mentioning that the German Masters Qualifiers are free entry to watch down at Robin Park so head down and see the worlds best for absolutely nothing.

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