Chris Wakelin vs Jamie Jones

💣 Wakelin heads into the Northern Ireland Open riding high after a dominant showing at the Shenzhen Open, where he swept Stuart Bingham 5-0. The Englishman racked up four breaks of over 50 points in that match, barely giving his opponent a chance to get into the game. By contrast, Jamie Jones has struggled for consistency, losing four of his last five matches—including defeats to Mitchell Mann (3-6) and Zhao Hanyang (2-4). It’s also worth noting that Wakelin has come out on top in both of their previous head-to-head encounters.

Wakelin’s edge isn’t just about class—his ability to build big breaks is a major factor. He capitalises swiftly on his opponents’ mistakes and has the quality to close out frames in a single visit. Jones, on the other hand, has repeatedly squandered opportunities in recent outings. Wakelin has already proved he can dispatch more experienced players with authority, so he looks well-placed to win by at least two frames here. Prediction: Chris Wakelin -1.5 frames handicap.