World Matchplay Quarter Finals Preview (Friday 24th July)

Phil Taylor vs Dave Chisnall

Phil Taylor has triumphed at the World Matchplay 15 times since its inaugural edition back in 1994. and 'The Power' has also lifted the trophy for the past 7 years on the bounce, the last time he lost was way back in 2007 against Terry Jenkins, only the sixth time he has lost on the Blackpool stage.
Taylor started the tournament 2nd favourite only behind World Number 1 Michael van Gerwen who is chasing his first ever World Matchplay title. 'The Power' began this campaign with an impressive 10-4 win over John Henderson then he followed this performance up with a 13-6 win over Andy Hamilton with an average of 99.37, a typical early round display from Taylor and you can be assured he will rise his standard for the upcoming rounds.

Dave Chisnall looked a bit out of sorts in his latest match against young star Keegan Brown, we know that 'Chizzy' is always liable to snatch a few of his darts during his matches, but on this occasion his arm seemed very tight and there was more snatching going on than usual. He still managed to squeeze through that match 13-11 with a 96 average, but I would think that the St Helens man will have fixed this problem when he plays the 16 time World Champion.

This match has 180s written all over it. 'Chizzy' is a maximum scoring machine and Phil Taylor is...well...Phil Taylor. There is also a good chance that there will be some 2 treble checkouts and it wouldn't surprise me if we seen a 170 checkout from these two top players.

The pair know each other very well as they have met 25 times in the past but its Phil Taylor who leads this particular statistic 18-7. The last time they met was back in May during a Pro Tour event in Barnsley and Chizzy won this bout 6-5.

Taylor is a deserved favourite for this match due to his nack for winnning over a long format which requires an extreme amount of concentration over a prolonged period of tme but, Chisnall will push him all the way. I honestly can't see Taylor wiping the floor of 'Chizzy' and don't be surprised if the unthinkable happens, Taylor losing.

Match Prediction: Phil Taylor 16-13 Dave Chisnall
                          Phil Taylor over 7.5 180s

James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic 

First things first, I am a Suljovic fan. He has beat every person on the tour before and is quite possibly, along with Justin Pipe, the most frustrating player in the world to play against. He has a slow throw which is bad enough, but he also loves letting his feelings be known with a slow walk to the board while throwing his arms about and most annoying thing is how long he takes before a double to compose himself, but I love it! Known as 'The Gentle', Mensur gives the best players about such a hard time, not to mention his double 14 hitting is very good. He doesn't allow them to walk up to the oche, reel of 6 legs, then walk off, he makes them really work for their wins. His form of late has been good, in 2015 he has reached 6 Quarter Finals and reached a Semi Final on the Pro Tour, but the most impressive form has been that of the past week. His first round match was against Terry Jenkins where he averaged just shy of 90 and despite this low average, he was able to get the job done against an experienced veteran. The 2nd round seen him up against the World Champion and triple-crown chasing Gary Anderson. Nobody gave the Austrian a chance, but he pulled off the biggest upset of recent times by winning 13-9 with a 95 average to progress.

James Wade, the last man to win this event that isn't Phil Taylor, can be described in one word. Efficient. It sums up his game perfectly and is why he is nicknamed 'The Machine' as he gets the job done without many 180s or much jumping around the stage. He is quite possibly the best player in the world at checking out anything between 100 and 130 and his double 20 and double 10 hitting is impeccable. His first round match was against Australian Kyle Anderson where Wade was looking a bit shaky at times, but that was due to the brilliance of Anderson. It took a 103 average to win the match 10-7 and set up a 2nd round match with Brendan Dolan which he won comfortably 13-8.

Wade showed that he is capable of dealing with slow and awkward players when he beat Dolan in the last round and to be honest, Wade isn't the quickest player either. He is very methodical with his play and doesn't rely on rhythm so Sujovic's style shouldn't annoy 'The Machine' at all, but on the other hand, I could see Mensur's being rattled by some big checkouts by Wade and this could effect his game. I don't expect a walkover, but with regret, I must say that I think this is the end of the road for Mensur Suljovic.

Match Prediction: James Wade 16-9 Mensur Suljovic
                           Under 10.5 match 180s
                           Wade Highest Checkout over 125.5

World Matchplay Quarter Final Predictions (Thursday 23rd July)

Michael van Gerwen vs Ian White

Prior to this years World Matchplay Ian 'Diamond' White has been on fine form in Pro Tour events on the floor. This year he has reached 3 Finals, 3 Semi-Finals and 2 Quarter Finals, considering that each of these floor events contain 128 of the World's finest players, this is an incredible achievement and because of this he has shot up the PDC Order of Merit and is now ranked number 9 in the world.
The World Matchplay draw wasn't very nice to White as he drew former BDO World Champion and rising star Stephen Bunting. This was anticipated as being one of the closest matches of the first round, although 'Diamond' White came through the match pretty comfortably 10-6 with a 103 average and 38% on the checkouts setting up a second round tie with Simon Whitlock. The Australian Whitlock demolished an under-par Jelle Klaasen in the first round and looked like he was back to his best form although Ian White wasn't about to lie down and let Simon walk over him into the Quarters. White averaged 97 in a 13-9 win and showed tenacity and calmness when he came back from a break of throw down to win rather comfortably.

MvG needs no introduction, he is World Number 1, former World Champion and on ridiculous form this year. Since the turn of the year, the Dutchman has won 12 events and reached numerous Finals and Semi-Finals beating all the the top players in the progress. He is deservedly the favourite to lift the trophy in Blackpool on Sunday.
Up until this round, van Gerwen has had it all his own way and has only dropped 6 legs in the first 2 rounds and in the 2nd round he clocked the 4th highest average in World Matchplay history when he averaged 110.93 against a rattled Jamie Lewis, although, he was so far ahead in this match that there was no pressure on him and could have contributed to the power scoring. If someone gives MvG a tough match, I don't think we will be seeing averages as high as that.

Van Gerwen leads the head-to-head between the pair 7-2 and has won the last 6 on the bounce. The last time these 2 met was at Blackpool nearly exactly a year ago, 'Mighty Mike' won that 13-4.

This years edition of the World Matchplay has thrown up numerous shock results, but I cant see this one leaving your jaw on the floor. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure that Ian White will give the World Number 1 a good game, but the Dutchman should continue the pursuit of his first Matchplay title into the Semi-Finals.

My Prediction for the match: MvG 16-9 White
                                          Over 15.5 180s


Peter Wright vs Gerwyn Price

If this match was in the first round you would not hesitate in saying Peter Wright would win hands down, but after recent events I don't think it will be as easy. 'Snakebite' Wright was the most impressive first round winner when he beat Kim Huybrechts 10-5 with a 108 average despite yet another change of darts. He can't seem to find the perfect dart but when he finds his range, he is up there with the best players in the world. His 2nd round match against Andrew Gilding wasn't so impressive. He started very slowly as did Gilding but eventually he picked his game up and won 13-7 with a 95 average, but the Scotsman clearly looked annoyed with his performance throughout the match. This shows how high the standard he sets for himself is, he averages 95 and wins comfortably, yet he is still not satisfied.

Gerwyn Price won his first round match against an out of sorts Michael Smith, who many people expected to have a long run this week, and he done it in good style. This is his debut year in the World Matchplay and he claimed he didn't know if he could win under a long format on the big stage, but he seems to be thriving off it. Price then pulled off undoubtedly the biggest shock of the tournament so far when he beat number 4 seed Adrian Lewis 13-10 in the 2nd round with an outstanding performance and an average of 97.88. The Welshman made a switch between playing rugby to darts and it is proving to be a successful one, this could be due to him having a sportsman's attitude, hardwork and dedication. He also possesses a lot of bottle when it comes to finishing matches off and not panicking when it's not going his way, he has the potential to be a real star of the future.

The pair have met on only 1 occasion and that was in the World Championship first round back in December where Peter Wright won 3-0, but I am sure Price will give him a hard match this time round. In my opinion, Price's legs total will be in double figures and he will give 'Snakebite' Wright a fright.

Prediction: Peter Wright 16-13 Gerwyn Price
                Gerwyn Price +3.5 legs

World Matchplay Predictions

The World Matchplay is arguably the second most important tournament of the year after the World Championships and it is a major title that every dart player would love to win, however, this has proved difficult for anyone who isn't Phil Taylor. The Power has been Matchplay Champion 15 times since its first edition in 1994 and he has won the last 7 in a row, so only 5 other players have ever lifted the trophy (Larry Butler, Peter Luison, Rod Harrington, Colin Lloyd and James Wade).

It wouldn't be surprising if we see a new champion this year, especially with World Number 1 Michael van Gerwen in pursuit of his first Matchplay title, he is an obvious choice to win in Blackpool, but he has had a slight dip in form recently including losing to Kim Huybrechts in last weekends European Tour in Düsseldorf although you can never rule the Dutchman out.

The first round draw is as follows:
(Best of 19 Legs)
Michael van Gerwen v Benito van de Pas
Justin Pipe v Jamie Lewis
Simon Whitlock v Jelle Klaasen
Ian White v Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright v Kim Huybrechts
Mervyn King v Andrew Gilding
Adrian Lewis v Joe Murnan
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Phil Taylor v John Henderson
Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton
Dave Chisnall v Jamie Caven
Robert Thornton v Keegan Brown
James Wade v Kyle Anderson
Brendan Dolan v Vincent van der Voort
Gary Anderson v Steve Beaton
Terry Jenkins v Mensur Suljovic

Below I will make a case for some outsiders who I think will have a good run in Blackpool.


Jelle Klaasen

Klaasen is a player who is undoubtedly very talented but until this year he hasn't lived up to his full potential. His throw would be one that I describe as fast, unorthodox and effective. When he is playing at his best he is, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining dart players to watch. His checkout methods can be strange at times but he usually takes them out with good effect, he is especially good at double 18, double 9 and double 6.
He was desperately unlucky in the World Championships not knock out eventual winner Gary Anderson in the last 32. Klaasen found himself 3-1 up, but couldn't cross the finishing line and the Flying Scotsman pulled off a remarkable comeback to win 4-3 with some incredible darts, from that point on Jelle has been improving steadily throughout the first half of 2015. The highlight of this year was when he won a Players Championship event in Wigan on 5th July beating Chirstian Kist, Mark Dudbridge, Gerwyn Price, Adrian Lewis, Daryl Gurney, Rowby-John Rodriguez and Ian White to claim his first PDC trophy.
Just last weekend he had a fantastic Euro Tour event in Dusseldorf where he only dropped 8 legs on his way to the Quarter Final only to lose to eventual winner Robert Thornton 6-4, the most impressive win during that run was a 6-1 demoiltion of Premier League Semi-Finalist Dave Chisnall clocking a 104 average in the process.
The Cobra meets Australian Simon Whitlock in the first round, a very winnable match due to Whitlock's poor form over the last year and I expect to see Klaasen progress to at least the Quarter Final stage where he could potentially meet World Number 1 Michael van Gerwen. That may prove too much to ask from Klaasen, but the sour history between the pair could set up an epic encounter fuelled by emotion.
The legs format that is used in the World Matchplay should suit Klaasen as he is able to keep concentration for a long period of time, he usually comes out of the blocks quickly and he tends to finish matches the same as he started. He is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Recommended Bets: Small bet on Klaasen each way 150/1
                                 Klaasen to win his quarter 18/1


Kim Huybrechts

The Belgian shot to stardom in last years Grand Slam of Darts when he defeated the favourite  Michael van Gerwen and hit a 9 dart finish in the same match. This, along with other good performances, earned him a place in the 2015 Premier League where he fell at the first hurdle and was eliminated on Judgement Night, but he wasn't disgraced. He gave the top 9 players in the world a good run and he has every right to be proud of his performances.
In July alone, Kim has reached 2 finals, the first was in a Players Championship event in Wigan where he beat the likes of Steve Beaton, Kyle Anderson and Andrew Gilding but he eventually lost to James Wade in a last leg decider. He then reached the final of a European Tour event in Düsseldorf last weekend where he once again caused an upset by beating MvG in the Semi Final, he also got the better of Jyhan Artut, Brendan Dolan and Michael Smith on route to the Final where he lost to an inspired Robert Thornton. Going by this, I would say that 'The Hurricane' has peaked his form at just the right time.
He has drawn Peter Wright in the first round of the World Matchplay which is a tough match, both players are in good form, but I fancy Kim to get the better of Snakebite to progress into the 2nd round. He is drawn in the 2nd quarter of the draw, which I think is the 'easiest' of the 4 quarters, not saying that it's easy, but there aren't as many in-form players in that section than the other 3. If Kim wins his first round match then he will face either Mervyn King or Andrew Gilding, definitely a match that the Belgian can win.
During that run in the Grand Slam of Darts last year, Huybrechts showed that the legs format is not a problem, he is a consistent player that can keep his best darts going right through a long match, something that is key if you are going to have a good run in Blackpool.

Recommended Bets: Kim Huybrechts each way 66/1
                                  Kim Huybrechts to win his quarter 7/1


Kyle Anderson

Anderson had to dig in deep to secure his place in the Blackpool, but there is no denying that he has the talent to give any player a tough match. The Australian has been creeping up the rankings since he decided to move to the UK last year and is capable of beating any of the top players. People started taking notice of 'The Original' when he hit a 9 darter during the 2014 World Championships which not many players have been able to do and since that he recorded the world record average during a match against Terry Jenkins where he won 6-1 and averaged 134.84 in the process, mind bloggling numbers.
Recently he has been in decent form and deserves some respect from his opponents. I have decided to include Anderson in my predictions due to the draw. I think it has been relatively kind to him as he has drawn James Wade in the first round, it will not be easy to beat the former Matchplay Champion but Anderson leads the head to head stats 2-1 and is capable of extending his lead in those stats. If he were to win then he would meet either Vincent van der Voort or Brendan Dolan in the 2nd round, also a match he is capable of winning in my eyes.
Not saying that Kyle is a certainty to win the event or even go past the first round, but at 300/1 it is worth £1 of my money.

Recommended Bets: Tiny bet Kyle Anderson each way 300/1
                                   Kyle Anderson to win his quarter 25/1