2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Preview

James has already posted his outright preview and tip, you can see that here. His 2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 preview is below.

Keane Barry vs. Darren Beveridge

Both players are in poor form, losing six of their last ten matches. Barry is the more experienced player, I believe this will be Beveridge’s Euro Tour debut, and that may be the deciding factor. He is the 1.67 favourite, but there will be better opportunities this weekend. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

Sebastian Bilecki vs. Niels Zonneveld

Neither of these players are in good form, both losing five of their last ten matches. Bialecki plays at a lower level, on the Development and Challenge tours. Zonneveld lost both his first round matches in the midweek tournaments and his record in Europe this season is played five, lost four.

Zonneveld is the 1.53 favourite, Bialecki 2.70. That seems fair enough, but it is Bialecki who leads Zonneveld 3-0 in their H2Hs. All three were on the Development tour in 2021-22 and all three were easy wins 5-1, 4-2 and 4-1.

The value may lie with the young Pole. We backed him to beat Jose de Sousa a while back, and he won 6-5, despite having been 1-5 down. However, there is nothing in either players’ form which makes me want to play in this match. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

Gyorgy Jehirszki vs. Wessell Nijman

The rising star that is Nijman is the heavy favourite at 1.13 and local qualifier Gyorgy Jehirszki 8.50. I have never seen Jehirszki play, but I have seen Nijman and he wins, possibly 6-0, but this is a match of little interest. In the previous three Hungarian Darts Trophies, only one local player has won a first round match, but only one lost 6-0. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

Florian Hempel vs. Callum Rydz

Finally, something approaching an interesting tie. It is fair to say that Rydz’ trips to Europe in 2024 have been torture for him. He won one match, beating Lee Evans 6-1 in ET3, but since then he has lost six and his highest average in Europe was 90.00. His recent form saw two decent wins on Tuesday, a first round exit on Wednesday, and he has lost five of his last ten.

Hempel is not a player who suffers from a lack of self-confidence. He reached the third round on Tuesday, giving Van den Bergh a bit of a spanking along the way, and on Wednesday he went out in the second round, averaging 100 in a 4-6 loss to Michael Smith.

He has won six of his last ten matches and is playing pretty well. He has not played on the Euro Tour this season but he has picked up seven match wins in his four season Euro Tour career, including a first round win in this event in 2021.

Hempel is the 1.91 favourite and given Rydz’ Euro Tour struggles, the German is the call.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: 1 point Florian Hempel to win @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes

János Végső vs. Cor Dekker

János Végső is a veteran of these events, having played in two previous Hungarian Darts Trophies, a couple of other Euro Tour events and four World Cups. All without much success. He averages 78.04 in 2024. He has never been beaten to love in his five Euro Tour matches and did take Joe Murnan to a deciding leg in this event in 2021.

Cor Dekker averages 82.73 and has won eight of his last ten matches on the Nordic Baltic tour. He has played in one Euro Tour event in 2024, losing 3-6 to Jose de Sousa, which was poor, given De Sousa’s form this year. He has played a total of three Euro Tour events in his career, and lost them all, 3-6, 5-6, and 3-6.

This is not a betting match for me. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

Brendan Dolan vs. Martin Lukeman

An all tour card holder match up. Dolan has now lost nine of his last ten matches, having lost both first round matches in midweek. On the Euro Tour he has won six first round matches but has lost his last two. Dolan is 31st on the Euro Tour OOM and is just hanging on to a provisional spot in the finals, so he would really like a win, and he may need one.

Martin Lukeman is 44th on the Euro Tour OOM, so he needs a big run if he is to make the finals. He will play in the final event of the season, so he doesn’t have much scope to qualify. Winning this would be a start and he is a past finalist on the Euro Tour. His form in Europe this season is dire though, having lost all four first round matches, the last two both 5-6.

Lukeman’s recent form is only OK, winning five of his last ten matches, but it is better than Dolan’s. Their H2H record is 3-0 to Dolan, both of their previous best of eleven leg matches went over 9.5 legs.

Lukeman is the 1.91 favourite, Dolan 2.18. It is hard to fancy Dolan given his recent run of nine straight losses, but he is no mug and averaged in the mid-90s in his midweek defeats.

Both players need the win and this is bound to be a bit of a nervy affair. I will go for an overs bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.00 with Hills

Alberto Mario Bezjian vs. András Csóka

One of these two will become only the second Hungarian players to win a Euro Tour match. However, I am not wasting any time guessing which one. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

James Wade vs. Lukas Wenig

Wade hit a couple of ton plus averages in midweek, helping him to win five of his seven matches. He is 29th on the Euro Tour OOM, and while he should be OK, he would like a win or two to make sure of reaching the finals. Wade has won six of his last ten matches and seven of his ten first round matches on this year’s Euro Tour.

Wenig lost both his first round matches midweek and has lost five of his last ten matches. These two last met in July, with Wade winning that 6-1. That is the sum total of their H2H record. Wade is the 1.33 favourite, Wenig 4.00.

The German is an improving player now he has a tour card, but his seasonal average of 80.32, suggests that Wade will get a second win against him. Wade can be backed at 2.08 with a -2.5 leg handicap, but I am happy to swerve this match. No bet.

2024 Hungarian Darts Trophy R1 Tip: No Bet

-JamesPunt