Christmas is over which means we can get on with the business end of the PDC World Darts Championship as a double session day on Tuesday sees the third round of the tournament starting inside Alexandra Palace.
We are up to the best of seven sets now which means we only have three matches in each session and this afternoon one looks extremely competitive and should provide some excellent darts for us to enjoy.
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Krzysztof Ratajski
The opening match of the third round sees the former World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh looking to make it back into the last 16 of the tournament when he takes on a Krzysztof Ratajski who has only once gone beyond this stage.
Van den Bergh looked pretty good in the second round in knocking off Lourence Ilagan who had the potential to be dangerous if he was allowed to be. The Belgian averaged 97 and checked out at over 50% and if he repeats that he is entitled to go pretty well here. Ratajski wasn’t as convincing in seeing off Danny Jansen in the previous round but the longer that match went on the better he got but the problem I have with the Polish star is that whenever he comes up against the very good players on TV he tends to come up short. Van den Bergh isn’t the most convincing favourite of all time though either so I’m happy to leave this one alone.
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Nathan Aspinall vs Josh Rock
The second match of the afternoon is the pick of them on paper as the former semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall goes up against the new kid on the block who many are expecting big things from in the form of Josh Rock.
Rock has done very well in the first 12 months of his career with the highlight being that nine dart leg that he produced at the Grand Slam but it is very early in his career and this is only the third competitive set play match he has played and the first over this distance. The other two were the first two rounds here and while he came through against Jose Justicia and Callan Rydz, he dropped a set to the Spaniard and would surely have lost one set if not more had Rydz not checked out at a measly 14.81%. Aspinall isn’t going to do that and unlike Rock he has plenty of set play experience both here where he has twice made the semi-final and at the World Grand Prix where he made the final earlier in the year. Aspinall averaged 97 in a 3-1 win over Boris Krcmar in the previous round which eclipses the 93.56 and 92.27 which Rock has recorded. Whether that is pressure of expectation keeping the Rock averages low or just that he isn’t used to events of this magnitude only he will know but Aspinall shouldn’t be the price he is here. I’m on Aspinall outright and I’m not a fan of backing an outright in a match bet but there is just no way I can avoid the price of someone who has made two TV finals in the last couple of months and who has achieved what he has against someone who has the potential but is being hyped up a little too much at present.
Jonny Clayton vs Brendan Dolan
Two veterans meet in the final match of the afternoon session on Tuesday when Jonny Clayton bids to make it back to the fourth round of the tournament when he meets Brendan Dolan with the winner facing the man who comes out on top in the previous game in the last 16.
Clayton was one of the most impressive players in the second round. He looked a confident man right from the start of his match against Danny van Trijp and the longer the contest went on the better he looked and if he brings that form with him he might have a very comfortable afternoon. Dolan stumbled out of the starting gate against Jimmy Hendriks but once he had found his range he looked decent enough as well but clearly he has to find something extra here because Clayton is a class act when you allow him to dictate terms. Dolan did beat Clayton in the final of the Players Championship event he won this season and the Welshman hasn’t had the best year on TV but those factors might only keep Dolan relatively close. I don’t expect him to win but the odds reflect that.
Tips
Back N.Aspinall to beat J.Rock for a 3/10 stake at 2.30 with William Hill
Back him here:
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