The UK Open has reached its final day with the tournament being played to a conclusion from the quarter final stage onwards down in Minehead on Sunday as the first televised ranking title of the season gets dished out.
We’ve had action all around the complex so far this weekend but everything is on the main stage from here on in. As ever the quarter finals are in the afternoon and the remainder of the tournament comes along in the evening. Time restrictions will deny us the chance to cover the semi-finals and final but we’ll look at the four quarter finals here.
Keane Barry vs James Wade
The quarter finals begin with a bit of a clash of the ages as the teenage Irish player Keane Barry takes on the defending champion James Wade, who will be buoyed by the confidence of hitting a nine dart finish in his win on Saturday evening.
Both these men have tasted the main stage this week which should make for a better encounter. Barry has a smidgeon to find on the averages to match the way Wade is playing right now but if he can do that then he doesn’t have a whole lot to lose. You sense this match is all about Wade though. If he is his usual crisp self on the doubles he should have enough to come through here but if he allows some misses to creep in at the wrong time Barry could be dangerous. I’m happy to watch this one rather than bet on it however.
Sebastian Bialecki vs William O’Connor
There will be at least one surprise semi-finalist in this tournament as two of the lowest ranked players left in the draw meet in the second quarter final onto the stage as the Polish youngster Sebastian Bialecki takes on the second Irishman to grace the stage in William O’Connor.
When you consider that Bialecki entered this tournament in the first round, for him to still be in the event is a fine achievement. His problem is that since the format went up to the best of 19 legs he hasn’t averaged more than 92 in a match and you sense that is a minimum benchmark from here on in. He has shown if his opponents allow him to hang around he’ll gladly do so but we need to see more from him to be convinced he’ll win this last eight clash. William O’Connor could have gone out to Stephen Bunting on Saturday afternoon but made short work of Peter Wright in the evening and could be set for a life changing day here. O’Connor has averaged 95 or above since the format went to the best of 19 and he’s been on the main stage now. He has enough advantages here to believe he’ll cover a 1.5 leg handicap.
Special Offer
OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH 888SPORT AND BET £10 TO GET £30 IN FREE BETS PLUS A £10 CASINO BONUS! PERFECT OFFER TO USE ON THIS TOURNAMENT! CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO JOIN. USE CODE 30F. NEW ACCOUNTS ONLY. 18+ T&Cs apply (See image for significant terms). Gamble Aware.
Danny Noppert vs Damon Heta
The third of the quarter finals has the potential to launch someone into the top 16 in the world rankings as Danny Noppert goes up against Damon Heta in a match where whoever comes through will fancy their chances of winning the tournament.
Heta has made it to this stage the hard way having beaten Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton in the last two rounds. Noppert has had a smoother path but has played some great darts which is a bit of a surprise given this is the first event he has played properly this year after missing The Masters to be at the birth of his child. Heta has gone well this week but I still feel on the big TV stage there are missed doubles in him and a poor performance somewhere along the line. If that comes here then Noppert will win this but it is hard to oppose a man who has just seen off two of the current big four in the game. I’ll sit this one out although I do think Noppert is value for anyone who wants a bet.
Michael Smith vs Gerwyn Price
The last of the quarter finals is without doubt the pick of them as two Premier League stars meet in a repeat of their epic World Championship quarter final of a couple of months ago when Michael Smith takes on Gerwyn Price.
This is a huge match. The winner of this one will be the favourite to win the tournament in the evening session and we should see some great darts as a result of that. They have met once since their Ally Pally showdown which Smith won and that was in the Premier League where Price came out on top 6-3. I would imagine he’ll win here too but that sloppy display against Jamie Hughes is putting me off having full confidence in that. I think when two stars meet in the game these days 180s will flow though and over a potential 19 legs I don’t think a 10.5 180 line is high enough for these two. Both hit six in their wins on Saturday evening and a repeat of that here will see this line safely covered. Both have the potential to hit more than that though so I like the over in 180s in this one.
Tips
Back W.O’Connor (-1.5 legs) to beat S.Bialecki for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with BetVictor
Back him here:
WON – Back M.Smith vs G.Price – Over 10.5 180s for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Coral
Back it here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2022
