Graeme Dott (Sco) v Joe Perry (Eng)

Graeme Dott appeared to have the world at his feet when he landed the World Championship in 2006. It should have been the catalyst for him to go on and establish himself among the leading forces in the game.

Sadly for Dott, he has been beset by a series of personal traumas since that famous victory, including the death of his father-in-law and he is currently battling depression.

Such is Dott’s current state of mental health that only confirmed his participation in this tournament at the eleventh hour, having previously said that he was intending to pull out of the competition.

The Glaswegian’s mere presence in the tournament should therefore be seen as an achievement of sorts, but clearly his primary focus has to be on getting well.

It would be unrealistic to expect much from Dott in his current predicament, especially given that he has endured a run of fifteen consecutive defeats in tournament play.

When on a run of that kind, there is not going to be any such thing as an ideal opponent, but if there was, Joe Perry certainly would not fall into that category.

Perry is currently provisionally ranked at 14 and on the verge of returning to the top 16 after three years away.

He reached the quarter-finals here four years ago, recording the highest break in the tournament along the way and he invariably plays his best snooker in longer matches.

Perry will look at the section of the draw he is in and realise he has an excellent opportunity to cement his place in the top 16 for next season.

So long as he does not buckle under that pressure, I cannot see him coming unstuck here. Dott is in a bad place at the moment and needs matches under his belt before he can move forward.

Having only decided to compete this week, that means he will be under prepared for this tournament.

Dott has more important issues to resolve for the time being and while I am sure that getting out and playing snooker in some respects will be a distraction for him, I expect Perry’s greater intensity and good form to prove telling in this encounter. Prediction: Dott 4-10 Perry