The PDC World Darts Championship returns from the Christmas break on Wednesday and it does so with another double header session of action inside the Alexandra Palace in London. The second round of the tournament continues in the afternoon session.
This was a session we were due to see the likes of Adrian Lewis and Kim Huybrechts in action but other players had other ideas so we’ve a more competitive looking card to go through instead.
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Simon Whitlock vs Darren Webster
Simon Whitlock: Round 1 beat Martin Schindler 3-1 – Ave: 87.42 180s: 5
Darren Webster: Round 1 beat Devon Petersen 3-2 – Ave: 90.81 180s: 4
Head to Head: 4-3
The opening match of the afternoon is a repeat of a contest from this round of the tournament last year when Simon Whitlock takes on Darren Webster. That match last year was expected to be a tight contest but Webster won it 4-0 and he’ll be hoping for something similar here.
It would be fair to say that neither man was at their best in the first round. Whitlock really struggled on doubles with one laughable leg and his average is probably distorted as a result while Webster struggled to put Petersen away but should be given credit for eventually finding a way to do so.
I like Webster here. I think his game is more consistent than Whitlock. What I mean by that is he plays the board well whereas the board management of the Australian is shocking and that proper play can serve Webster well. Webster has won all three of their TV meetings and is value to make that four from four.
Alan Norris vs James Richardson
Alan Norris: Round 1 beat Kim Viljanen 3-0 – Ave: 95.41 180s: 4
James Richardson: Round 1 beat Kim Huybrechts 3-0 – Ave 96.91 180s: 4
Head to Head: 4-1
The middle match of the afternoon sees one of our pre-tournament picks Alan Norris taking on the dangerous James Richardson for the right to face either Peter Wright or Jamie Lewis in the third round on Thursday evening.
Both men played pretty well in the opening match of the tournament although how much we can read into Richardson’s win is open to debate because Kim Huybrechts did an absolute no show. I guess the big question is can Richardson repeat that performance under more pressure. We know Norris can back up his performances in this event.
I like Norris here but I’ve enough invested in him this week to sit this one out because the odds probably reflect the contest and I respect Richardson enough to show little interest in the handicaps.
Kevin Munch vs Antonio Alcinas
Kevin Munch: Preliminary Round beat Aleksandar Oreshkin 2-0 – Ave: 84.66 180s: 2
Round 1 beat Adrian Lewis 3-1 – Ave: 93.48 180s: 8
Antonio Alcinas: Round 1 beat Cristo Reyes 3-1 – Ave: 85.85 180s: 1
Head to Head: 0-0
The final match of the afternoon sees two surprise packages going at it for the chance to face either Simon Whitlock or Darren Webster in the next round in what is an amazing opportunity for both men to go very deep in the event and potentially change their lives.
You had to be impressed with Kevin Munch in the first round. He outscored a genuinely top class scorer in Adrian Lewis and then took the shots out at the right time and you can’t ask for much more than that. Alcinas was involved in more of a battle against Cristo Reyes where you felt he struggled to play against a good friend.
I expect Alcinas to improve here given that he is not playing a friend in this match but it is a long while since we saw him play well on TV so in my eyes Munch has this match in his hands. If he can continue to hit the big scores and take out the telling big shot when needed then I think he can come through what will be a nervy encounter given the opportunity on offer.
Tips
WON – Back D.Webster to beat S.Whitlock for a 4/10 stake at 2.30 with Betfair
Back him here:
Back K.Munch to beat A.Alcinas for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
Back him here:
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