The last session of darts in 2021 will see the quarter final line up at the PDC World Darts Championship confirmed when the last 16 of the tournament concludes inside Alexandra Palace on Thursday evening.
We will be treated to three former world champions and a couple of genuine contenders for the title this year across the course of the evening on what should be a wonderful session of darts to round out 2021.
James Wade vs Martijn Kleermaker
The opening match of the night will determine who will play Mervyn King in the last eight on Saturday when James Wade looks to move into another quarter final at the expense of the surprise package in the form of Martijn Kleermaker.
The big Dutchman has taken advantage of three opponents not really showing up against him so far, or in the form of Joe Cullen in the previous round not showing up until it was far too late. There is every chance he could capitalise on that again because Wade has an ordinary record here and an 83.74 average in the only match he has played in this tournament without a 180 in four sets doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that he is going to show up all guns blazing here. We might be at the stage where Kleermaker realises where he is and struggles to perform as we saw Raymond Smith and Alan Soutar do earlier in the day but that might still be enough if Wade does a no show. Either way this doesn’t appeal to me from a betting point of view.
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Gary Anderson vs Rob Cross
The second match of the night sees two of the three former champions taking to the stage when the 2021 finalist Gary Anderson takes on the man who achieved his dream in 2018 in Rob Cross with Luke Humphries awaiting the winner in the quarter final.
Anderson has had a tricky route to this stage of the competition. He landed the horror draw of Adrian Lewis in the second round before having to come from 3-0 down to Ian White in the third round. He faces another man in Cross who has had a stinker of a draw of his own. Raymond van Barneveld was the second round draw nobody wanted and then ‘Voltage’ had to overcome a humdinger of a match with Daryl Gurney in the third round. Both men might have come through tough draws to get to this stage but one has played discernibly better than the other. That is Cross and I think he has way too much for Anderson here. The doubt comes in the head to head where Cross trails badly but I prefer the here and now to the what’s been and gone. Anderson at his best can win this but averages of 93.74 and 90.31 aren’t his best. Cross was a nudge short of a ton against Gurney and if he’s there or thereabouts here he should have a bit in hand coming over the line.
Peter Wright vs Ryan Searle
The final match of the last 16 is a repeat of the Players Championship Finals final from last month as Peter Wright takes on Ryan Searle with the winner coming back on Saturday for a quarter final date with Callan Rydz.
Wright edged Searle out in that final in Minehead in a deciding leg 11-10 and if this is as close as that we are in for some match. Wright has been hard to judge in this tournament. In both matches he has stunk the place out for the first two sets but then when he has found his form he has looked like the man who strolled to the World Matchplay title in July. Searle started this event slow in seeing off Willie Borland but was much better against Danny Noppert and I expect him to be better again here. This could go either way but I’m hoping Searle wins because I’m on him for this quarter and if he does win he would go into the quarter final as a favourite. The bet I like though is over 13.5 180s. Wright won’t play this match with weird darts so he will plough in the 180s while Searle clatters them in himself. We should get a minimum of six sets here and that should be more than long enough to get to 14 180s.
Tips
Back R.Cross (-1.5 sets) to beat G.Anderson for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with William Hill
Back him here:
Back P.Wright vs R.Searle – Over 13.5 180s for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Betfair
Back it here:
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