Matthew Stevens vs Yuan Sijun Prediction: Sijun will win this close contest

Mattioli Arena Leicester will host the Snooker Shoot-Out encounter between Matthew Stevens and Yuan Sijun. The two players are coming off a defeat in their last game. Who wins this game?

Matthew Stevens

Matthew Stevens played Neil Robertson in his last encounter, coming in the UK Championship quarterfinal, which ended in a 2-6 defeat. However, the Welsh player has faced defeats in two of his last matches, one other coming against John Higgins in the International Championship round 1/16, which ended 1-6. However, his other encounters saw Matthew Stevens pick up wins over Simon Blackwell, Manasawin Phetmalaikul and Martin O’Donnell. Heading into this game as the underdog, Matthew Stevens will hope to be at his best, show character and win.  

Yuan Sijun

Yuan Sijun lost consecutive matches ahead of this game and will hope to secure a win this time. In his last matches, Yuan Sijun has lost three games, coming against Junxu Pang, Jiang Jun and Sanderson Lam. Heading into this game, Yuan Sijun has picked up wins over Bulcsu Revesz and Michael Holt. As the favourite, Yuan Sijun is expected to do better here following poor performances, as he hopes to get back to winning ways.

Expert Betting Tips

Matthew Stevens won the lone meeting between these players way back in 2018. However, Yuan Sijun's level of play has improved so much over the years, and I expect him to show class in this game. The two players at the moment are playing closely at the same level, and I expect a close contest. Yet there is a winner in this game, but I trust Yuan Sijun in this game to secure a win.