James Cooper delivers his verdict on the first round of the German Masters, where the likes of Judd Trump and John Higgins are in action.
Snooker betting tips: German Masters
1.5pts Cheung Ka Wai (+3.5 frames) to beat Judd Trump at 6/5 (General)
1.5pts Jamie Jones (+2.5 frames) to beat John Higgins at 11/10 (Betfred, Star Sports)
Judd Trump’s quest for a German Masters four-timer begins on Tuesday morning and he’s a best price of 1/20 to successfully negotiate his first opponent, Cheung Ka Wai.
Even in this best-of-nine, it’s very hard to envisage Trump fluffing his lines here but on the +3.5 HANDICAP, a case can certainly be made for CHEUNG KA WAI.
This is the second year of Cheung’s tour card and his first season wasn’t particularly productive, failing to surpass the last-64 in a single event.
A run to the final 32 of the British Open was more like it and given his precarious position in the rankings, winning a decider against wily veteran David Lilley was big for Cheung in his quest to stay on the circuit.
Realistically, he can’t expect to add further prize money in Berlin but for one of his level, Cheung is a pretty heavy scorer, his 50+ per frame ratio very respectable, as is seven centuries so far this season.
Trump’s level is pretty easy to ascertain and he remains the most reliable match player in the game but like all of the elite players, on the rare occasion he does miss, it usually presents a good opening for his opponent.
It’s fairly infrequent for Trump to pit his wits against players out of the top 64 in the rankings but Ng On Yee took two frames off him in China (best-of-nine) while slightly superior players Martin O’Donnell and Dylan Emery kept it competitive this season.
Matthew Stevens and Oliver Lines have also got the better of Trump this campaign and while Cheung isn’t at that level, he looks a touch of value to secure two frames before Trump records the requisite five.
On a frame-by-frame assessment, I make that outcome around 10/11, so the general 6/5 is appealing.
Jones can make Higgins work
There’s a difference of opinion from the layers when it comes to the John Higgins versus Jamie Jones clash, with a 100% book available at best prices (1/4 v 4/1).
The handicap markets of course reflect that, too, and JAMIE JONES (+2.5 FRAMES) looks an appealing proposition.
For all the excellent work of Higgins in the Masters, including two stunning comebacks, he seemed to run out of petrol in the final and could never really land a telling blow.
On one hand, it rams home the point that Higgins remains a force at the very highest level despite entering his sixth decade in the spring but conversely, like his fellow Class of 92, his off days are slightly more prevalent than they used to be.
With just eight wins from 20 matches, it certainly cannot be said that Jones is arriving in Berlin in anything like top form and his scoring power just hasn’t clicked in 2025/26.
A failure to qualify for his Home Nations event will also be a blow but it’s not quite panic stations yet regarding the top 64.
The relevance of head-to-head matches going back over a decade has to be up for debate but it’s a close one between the pair overall, 3-2 in favour of Higgins.
On his day, Jones possesses the all-round-game to mix it with Higgins in a best-of-nine and like the other selection, I’m odds-on that the Welshman can grab at least three frames, so the 11/10 is worth snapping up.
Posted at 14:30 GMT on 26/01/26
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