German Masters Final Preview

The final of the 2013 German Masters will be a battle between Ali Carter and Marcu Fu after both came through their respective semi finals yesterday.Neither match was a classic but that wont matter to these two as they go in search of the 60,000 Euro first prize as well as the chance to add another ranking title to their cv's.

Carter was the first man through beating a below par Neil Robertson 6-2.This was a match that may live on in the memory but for all the wrong reasons.The standard on show was perhaps the lowest we have seen in a semi final for many years.indeed the standout statistic is that Carter managed to win so convincingly with a high break of just 46.There was a lot of talk on twitter yesterday about how Robertson can get bogged down in matches to the detriment of his own game and I think there is an argument for this.I think we sometimes see him fall into the trap of trying too hard not to lose rather then playing to win.

All that said I don't think Carter will have lost too much sleep last night over how he reached the final and in fairness to him he did pot a number of pressure balls to advance.He will be well up for it today as aims to his current tally of two ranking titles.

Standing in his way will be Marco Fu,who beat Barry Hawkins 6-4 in another keenly fought semi final last night.Hawkins had probably been the best player all week and got the best of some long drawn out opening frames to lead 2-0.Fu wasn't going to crumble though and made it 2-2 at interval.That was to become 4-4 as they exchanged the next four,but it was Fu who finished the stronger to claim the win.to set up todays encounter with Carter

This final is almost impossible to try and call.Carter by virtue of the fact he is a little more experienced in these situations will probably start as favourite but not by much.This is a clash between two players who will both feel they should have been in this situation  many more times in their careers then they have been,but have both been blighted by inconsistency. This one may boil down to who settles the better early on in the match.

I'm going to go for a Fu win.I just feel if he can get his scoring going early he will have too much for Carter here.Let just hope though, whoever the winner is, that the 2,500 people who will pack the Tempodrome today get the final they deserve.