We have reached the quarter finals of the World Grand Prix over in Dublin and while the shocks have been ongoing throughout the week we do still have the two highest ranked players in the game still in the tournament and a decent batch of players looking to challenge them for the title.
All four matches in the last eight take place in the one evening session at the CityWest Hotel and remain over the best of five sets and with the money starting to go up in large amounts there is plenty to play for.
Dave Chisnall vs Daryl Gurney
Two 180 hitters who originated from the BDO get the quarter finals underway on Thursday night when Dave Chisnall takes on Daryl Gurney for the right to face either Michael van Gerwen or Simon Whitlock in the semi-finals.
Daryl Gurney has done well to come this far with an injured hand but I think his run ends here. I don’t think his consistency around the 60 is quite there yet since his injury and there is always a concern about his doubling. It is only the concern at the doubles that puts me off taking Chisnall on a handicap here but those concerns are valid so I’ll sit this one out.
Benito van de Pas vs Raymond Barneveld
This all-Dutch battle looks interesting on paper as at some point in the future there will be a run of players who overtakes Raymond Barneveld on the big stage and not just Michael van Gerwen and we’ll find out here just how soon that is to happening.
On all known form this week it would be foolish to think that Barneveld won’t win this match. He has doubled in better than van de Pas and he has scored better than him too. There might not have been a better performance from anyone so far than the one that Barneveld has put in against Lewis in the previous round.
Then we go to the head to head with Barneveld leads 4-0 with four pretty conclusive beatings including in a European Tour event last month and we see a very worthy favourite. I think Barneveld will win and I expect him to do it with a bit in hand.
Michael van Gerwen vs Simon Whitlock
I don’t suppose van Gerwen is too worried about revenge for defeats but he will go into this match knowing that Simon Whitlock beat him on the way to a Players Championship title on Saturday so that adds a different dynamic to this one.
For all that I don’t see van Gerwen losing this match but any incentive I had to take the number one on a handicap went with those 16 perfect darts Whitlock put together at the end of his win over Alan Norris in the previous round. Anyone on that type of form is dangerous and he only needs a couple of legs on throw and MVG not to get off when he has the throw and all of a sudden this is closer than it looks. This isn’t a betting game for me.
Gary Anderson vs Kim Huybrechts
They have saved the best for last with this one and I’m expecting a cracking match here. Gary Anderson looks in wonderful form while Kim Huybrechts always plays above himself against the bigger players in the game so this is set up nicely.
Anderson has been nearly flawless in this tournament so far but there is always a sense that when the pressure is on he can miss a few doubles and that gives me belief that Huybrechts might just take this one.
He was terrible against Ian White in the first round but he sorted that out in defeating Stephen Bunting in the previous round where he was very good and if he has that doubling and scoring with him here he’s a huge runner. The Belgian will know he has won all three of their meetings this year and at 11/4 as the more accomplished double hitter he’s perfectly good value to dump the Scot out here.
Tips
WON – Back R.Barneveld (-1.5 sets) to beat B.van de Pas for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Coral
Back him here:
Back K.Huybrechts to beat G.Anderson for a 3/10 stake at 3.75 with Ladbrokes
Back him here:
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