Barry Hawkins vs Guodong Xiao Prediction: Guodong can’t be written off

The Snooker Championship Open's upcoming round will take place at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, featuring a match between Barry Hawkins and Guodong Xiao. As the fixture approaches, Barry Hawkins is undoubtedly considered the favorite, with Guodong Xiao entering the match as the underdog.

In Barry Hawkins's recent match against Neil Robertson, the Englishman displayed a commendable performance, securing a 3-0 victory. Nevertheless, in the matches leading up to this success, Hawkins faced setbacks, losing to Kyren Wilson, Mark Davis, and Yupeng Cao, with a sole victory against Steven Hallworth. Despite these mixed results, entering this match as the favorite, Hawkins remains optimistic about securing a win and accruing more points in the standings.

Guodong Xiao has been in outstanding form recently, entering this match with the hope of delivering another exceptional performance. Reviewing his recent matches, the Chinese professional has impressively won four out of his last five games. During this period, he secured victories against John Higgins, Tom Ford, Ricky Walden, and Kyren Wilson. It is essential to highlight that Guodong Xiao did experience a defeat in his match against Mark Selby.

Analyzing the performances of both players leading up to this match, there are considerable expectations. Guodong Xiao stands out for his excellent performance, considering the opponents he has faced and the results. However, being labeled as the underdog suggests that it won't be an easy challenge for him. On the other hand, I lack confidence in Barry Hawkins, and I anticipate a closely contested match. Guodong Xiao may narrow the odds, and the overall points scored are likely to be high.