Shanghai Masters 2026 Predictions: ‘Top half looks made for the GOAT’

Our snooker tipster, former professional Craig Edwards (@EdwardsTips_), has previewed the Shanghai Masters - the opening event of the season.

Read on for his Shanghai Masters 2026 predictions, comprised of three Outright tips at 8/1, 33/1 and 100/1.

The Luwan Indoor Stadium hosts the 17th Shanghai Masters, which takes place between 27 July-2 August, as the tournament’s growing reputation continues to strengthen.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the event five times, while Ding Junhui and defending champion Kyren Wilson have each lifted the trophy twice.

Tournament Details

The Shanghai Masters features 24 players: 20 professionals plus four invited wildcards, with eight seeds receiving byes to the round of 16.

Matches are best of 11 frames through the quarter-finals, best of 19 in the semi-finals, and the final is best of 21, with a £210,000 first prize on offer.

Broadcast in the UK on TNT Sports.

Draw

Kyren Wilson v Ronnie O’Sullivan or Wildcard #2

Mark Williams v Chris Wakelin or Wildcard #3

Zhao Xintong v Ding Junhui or Wildcard #4

Neil Robertson v Xiao Guodong or Wildcard #1

Judd Trump v Barry Hawkins or Peifan Lei

John Higgins v Zhang Anda or Jack Lisowski

Shaun Murphy v Mark Selby or Zhou Yuelong

Wu Yize v Si Jiahui or Pang Junxu

How do we analyse little or no form for the new season?

Some players naturally start seasons better than they finish them and are especially effective when fresh. This year, we also have Championship League form and recent qualifying rounds for several WST ranking events to help guide the analysis.

Regular readers will know I usually look towards the lower end of the betting market, but this event has not historically been ideal for long-shot each-way alternatives. That said, Luca Brecel and Ali Carter have both reached the final at each-way prices in two of the last three years, so we will keep stakes slightly smaller than usual at this early stage of the season.

2pts Ronnie O'Sullivan each way @ 8/1

The top half of the draw looks tailor-made for snooker’s GOAT, with the seven-time world champion handed a qualifying-round opener. That should help O’Sullivan shake off any rust before facing Kyren Wilson in the round of 16. If he reaches the quarter-finals, Mark Williams may await - another legend of the sport but one who has historically struggled against 'The Rocket'

It's also worth remembering that O’Sullivan is a five-time former champion who relishes playing in China and has often produced his best snooker there, helped by some of the finest conditions on the tour. In that context, Betfred’s 8/1 looks strong each-way value.

1pt Xiao Guodong each way @ 33/1

The clear value in Quarter 2 is Xiao Guodong. The 37-year-old has firmly established himself among the sport’s top 16 over the past two years, winning back-to-back Wuhan Open titles and producing a series of deep runs and consistently strong performances on the WST.

Guodong enjoys returning to China with his family and looks comfortable on the fast conditions, which suit his precision-based game rather than a power-heavy style. He reached the quarter-finals here last year and has an intriguing second-round draw against Neil Robertson, a player he has regularly troubled throughout his career.

A tough quarter-final could follow against one of China’s biggest names, Ding Junhui or Zhao Xintong, but both players respect Guodong. He has also helped many younger Chinese players settle in the UK, with Xintong being one example. While Xintong enjoyed a superb year as world champion last season, his form in home events was less convincing, as he appeared weighed down by expectation in China.

Xiao Guodong looks an eye-catching small-stakes each-way option at 33/1 with Betfred for the Shanghai Masters.

0.5pt Pang Junxu each way @ 100/1

The bottom section of the bracket points us towards a speculative play on Pang Junxu - though that call needs some explanation.

Betfred’s opening 100/1 quote immediately caught my eye, given Junxu’s strong start to the season in qualifying and the Championship League. Last year, there were times when I felt the 26-year-old had stalled slightly in his WST development and become too conservative with his shot selection. That can happen to players who show maturity early in their careers, but his break-building numbers already look significantly better this season. A draw against fellow Chinese prospects Si Jiahui and Wu Yize could also suit Junxu, as he may be able to control the tactical exchanges.

Wu Yize must also cope with home-crowd expectation, a pressure that Zhao Xintong struggled with throughout last season. At 100/1 for small stakes, Pang Junxu is the speculative play after reaching the quarter-finals here in 2024.

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