The second day of the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts sees Group 4 of the tournament taking place as four more players get on the baize in Bolton looking to come through two matches to set up a semi-final clash with Judd Trump.
We saw some good snooker on the opening day of the event but you sense that the quality and intensity of the tournament is only going to lift from here on in with everyone left to come having proved themselves at the top level in recent times.
Neil Robertson vs Mark Williams
The opening semi-final of Group 4 sees two men who have won tournaments in this new snooker season meeting when the English Open champion Neil Robertson meets the British Open winner Mark Williams in a heavyweight contest to get Tuesday up and running.
Robertson won the English Open earlier this month despite not being at his best and he has a decent record in this tournament. The latter is no surprise because he has nurtured himself into a man who attempts to peak for the big events and this one is rapidly gaining pride of place on the snooker calendar. He now takes on Williams who was forced to miss the English Open, and the European qualifiers prior to it, because he came down with Covid-19. Given that he had gout at the Northern Ireland Open, it hasn’t been a good month for the Welshman health wise. I saw an interview where Williams said Covid hit him bad and he hasn’t been able to practice for a while. He has enough natural talent to still deliver a good performance here but you would have to think beating someone of Robertson’s class, who has the confidence of winning barely more than a week ago, is going to be difficult. That interview also suggested that Williams thinks his gout could be coming back so I’m guessing he won’t have been practicing much recently. That makes me think the odds against on Robertson winning this 4-2 or better is a fair bet.
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Kyren Wilson vs Jordan Brown
Two more tournament winners meet in the second group semi-final when one of the Championship League winners Kyren Wilson takes on the man who shocked Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the Welsh Open in February in Jordan Brown.
Wilson is a regular at this tournament whereas Brown is making his debut and that fact shouldn’t be underplayed. We saw David Lilley struggle on his debut in the tournament on Monday and I wouldn’t be surprised were Brown to do likewise. Brown does have the advantage of being a tour professional but he still isn’t used to the one table setups and certainly isn’t used to events of this prestige. I’ve got to think Wilson wins this. He’s playing well and like most class acts gets himself up for these events but he’s plenty short enough and I’m on him outright so I’m happy to let him win this one.
Group Betting
Neil Robertson starts the group as the favourite to come through it and I guess that is understandable and justified given that he won the English Open last week and he has a decent enough record in the tournament. I’m not sure I want to be wading in at a skinny price though when he has to beat a legend of the game and a man who he only beat in a deciding frame on his way to that English Open title.
I expect this to be a final between Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson and if that final is anything like their English Open quarter final then we will be in for quite some treat. Wilson had the first chance in the deciding frame of that match but couldn’t get the job done but I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes up for that here. Given that I’m on the Englishman outright I already want him to come through this group and that is all the interest I need in that market.
Tips
Back N.Robertson (-1.5 frames) to beat M.Williams for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Coral
Back him here:
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