Matthew Stevens vs Andrew Higginson Prediction: Stevens will start this tournament with a significant win

China Grand Prix Qualification will begin, and on day one, Matthew Stevens will play Andrew Higginson. Stevens is the favorite here, while Andrew Higginson is an underdog. How will this encounter end?

Matthew Stevens will head into this game as a favorite, and the Welsh professional player will hope he can live up to expectations. In his last matches, Matthew Stevens played identical 2-2 draws with Jak Jones, Ma Hailong, and Martin O'Donnell in the second stage of the Championship League. However, Matthew Stevens heads into this game with an unbeaten record of six matches, winning two and drawing four. At the same time, his last defeat came in April against Jack Lisowski in the World Championship qualification round. 

Andrew Higginson will be confident of getting things right here following a run of games with no defeat. In his last match, Andrew Higginson played Iulian Boiko in the World Championship League and secured a 3-1 win in the First Stage. However, games in the same competition before that win saw him settle for 2-2 draws with Robert Milkins and Jackson Page. Heading into this game, Andrew Higginson will be the underdog, but while he has won two of his three games against Matthew Stevens, he will feel confident to get things running here. 

Andrew Higginson will be a tough opponent, but Matthew Stevens has greatly improved. Andrew Higginson's performances have decreased, and while he could put on a decent performance here, I still believe that Matthew Stevens will get things right and win.