Robertson vs Higgins Prediction 17 February 2026

The start of 2026 has proven challenging for the Australian. Plenty of matches, yet no titles, and we've witnessed some puzzling defeats from the player. Notably, in the semifinals of a tournament in Germany, Neil suffered a heavy loss to Shaun Murphy (1-6). Following that, the long flight to Hong Kong seemed to take its toll. In the World Grand Prix, Robertson was knocked out in his opening match, again facing a significant defeat to Jack Jones (1-5).

An important point is the two consecutive losses. Adding a third would be tougher, especially since there are explanations for the previous setbacks that aren't related to a dip in form. The first opponent in Telford seems favorable: there's an advantage in head-to-head encounters, plus a stylistic edge. Now, let's turn our attention to John Higgins.

John started 2026 with five wins and three losses. Overall, it's a decent record, especially since there were no major upsets. During the Masters in London, Higgins reached the final but lost to Kyren Wilson. In Germany, he faced defeat against Xiao Guodong. At the Hong Kong tournament, the veteran was swept aside by Zhao Xintong (3-5), who was in phenomenal form that week.

Higgins' main issue remains unchanged-he plays with little margin for error. He needs to maintain control throughout the match to have a shot at victory. Unfortunately, John isn't a player who thrives on momentum. If his opponent gets on a roll, he typically struggles to counter it. We know all too well that Robertson is one of the tour's key players when it comes to riding a wave of confidence.