2023 begins with a bang as New Year’s Day is quarter final day at the PDC World Darts Championship with the opening two matches taking place in the afternoon session inside Alexandra Palace on a huge Sunday of darts.
We have to wait until the evening session to see the two highest ranked players left in the tournament taking to the stage but four very competent dartists will go at it over the course of a tasty afternoon.
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Jonny Clayton
The opening quarter final of the tournament could very easily be the title showdown as two class acts collide when the Belgian star Dimitri Van den Bergh takes on the Welsh ace Jonny Clayton for a spot in the last four.
Van den Bergh has cruised into this quarter final and while you would level the accusation that no opponent has really turned up against him yet, he can only beat what is in front of him and he has done that in a ruthless fashion with some really good scoring at the right times and finishing which hasn’t given an opponent a chance to come back into it. Clayton hasn’t had quite as easy a time of it but he has faced a couple of opponents who did offer their best game at times. The quality he displayed in the key moments in beating Josh Rock in the last round suggests he is ready to go all the way in this tournament. I don’t know whether he’ll go all the way but I do think he’ll win this but I expect this to be very close and one which potentially could go all the way. Both of the quarter finals which Van den Bergh has played in have contained at least eight sets and I don’t see either man running away with this given the prize which is on offer. They are both very consistent without having that elite burst in sets that the top four in the world have. I think the 10/11 on there being more than 7.5 sets is a great way to get 2023 underway.
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Michael Smith vs Stephen Bunting
The second quarter final in the afternoon session sees two of the best St Helens and surrounding areas have to offer going at it when the 2022 finalist Michael Smith takes on the man who made the last four in 2021 and will be looking to emulate that again here in Stephen Bunting.
There was a real impressiveness about the way both of these men took care of dangerous opponents in the previous round on Friday. Smith took a while to find his scoring power but when he did he had way too much in the tank for Joe Cullen while Bunting came flying out of the blocks against Luke Humphries and never relented and came through very convincingly indeed. That was a second top drawer performance from Bunting and he gave the sort of interview after the win over Humphries that told us in no uncertain terms that he is happy with his game and full of confidence. You can see why too because he has averaged 102 and 99 in the last two rounds and is scoring like a dream. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he wins this because he can keep with Smith in the scoring department, particularly with Smith showing a lot of signs of pressure with plenty of loose darts so far. The question is which of these will be most reliable on the doubles which matter. This has all the hallmarks of a deciding set match which is laced in tension and while my gut tells me Bunting will come through here I think the better bet is to back him with a 2.5 set handicap in case he does baulk at the finish line or runs into an insane set from Smith at the wrong time at the back end of the match.
Tips
Back D.Van den Bergh vs J.Clayton – Over 7.5 sets for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with BetVictor
Back S.Bunting (+2.5 sets) to beat M.Smith for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with BetVictor
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