Sunday Evening PDC World Championship Preview

James Punt was on fire last night. He fired in a trio of winners at 1.80, 2.28 and 4.50 from just three selections. He also fired in another two winners from three tips this afternoon. He’s hoping to cause more heartache for the bookies tonight. Check out James’ Sunday Evening PDC World Championship darts preview and tips below.

Martijn Kleermaker vs. John Michael

Dutch giant, Kleermaker, is in poor form having lost seven of his last eight matches. His scoring has been low and his confidence likewise. John Michael has won six of his last ten, but they were all wins in the South Eastern Europe qualifier for this event and averages in the 70’s were enough to win four of those. At pro tour level, he has lost seven of his last ten.

Kleermaker is the better player, hits the higher notes more often, but he is not a player to be feared at the moment. Michael has won two of his previous three opening matches in the World Championship, albeit against some very modest opposition. Kleermaker is making his championship debut, so he may be the more nervous of the two.

Kleermaker is the bookies 1.40 favourite and Michael available at 3.25. With two players out of form, it would be easy to pass over this match, but I’ll take a chance on Michael. The fact that he has some winning experience at The Palace, and that his opponent is making his debut, may give the Greek an edge. He won their only previous meeting 6-4 last year.

Sunday Evening PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point John Michael to win @ 3.25 with SpreadEx, Betfair

Florian Hempel vs. Martin Schindler

Two players who I thought could trouble more illustrious opponents in the first round, but they have been drawn against each other, which is a shame. Schindler is on the comeback trail, and he is back to his best and improving. His win rate in 2020 was 55% but in 2021 it is up to 68% and his average is 94.7, up 5 points year on year. He has won six of his last ten matches. He has played here twice before and lost both matches, only averaged in the mid 80’s. He is better than that and is a better player now.

These two have met five times and all this year, so that is good recent form, well four of them were back in April, but it is a decent pointer. Schindler won four of those matches. Three of the matches were in the German Super League and it was Schindler who beat Hempel 11-10 in the final to earn his place here.

Debut For Hempel

Hempel is making his World Championship debut and has won five of his last ten matches, including wins against Daryl Gurney, Nathan Aspinall and Dirk van Duijvenbode. There were three ton plus averages in those last ten and his A game is top drawer.

This is a tough call. Both players are in good nick, both have great A games, but Schindler has the benefit of more experience. That said, Hempel is a very confident, slightly cocky guy, so he won’t be overawed. Schindler is the 1.73 favourite, which is justified given their H2H record, and Hempel is 2.30.

Picking the winner is hard, both have decent claims and instead I will go for it being a cracking match that goes all the way.

Sunday Evening PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point over 4.5 sets @ 2.75 with Hills, Betfair

Steve Beaton vs. Fallon Sherrock

Time for another drinking game. Queen of the Palace, slurp, Smashed the glass ceiling, double slurp. Legless by nine.

We know the script here. Steve Beaton playing in his 33rd World Championship and a legend in the sport, is going to get dog’s abuse for having a cock. It seems the novelty of playing a woman has not worn off on the darting crowds, especially the ones addled with drink.

Beaton will never have experienced a crowd not on his side or at the very least neutral. He will now have 3500 booing him. That was enough to put Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic out their comfort zone last year.

Sherrock Has Improved

Sherrock has improved as a player since making the headlines last year and enjoyed a run to the final of the Danish Darts Masters on TV and more recently reaching the knockout phase of the Grand Slam of Darts and again beating Mensur Suljovic to reach the quarter final, losing 13-16 to Peter Wright. She really enjoys getting up on the big stages and so far, she has been able to raise her game more times than not.

Steve Beaton has not had a good couple of years. His win rate has slipped from his usual 61% to 49% and his average is a shade below 91. He has lost six of his last ten matches. There are the occasional flashes of his A game but all too often we are getting sub 90 averages and that, or even low 90s, will be punished by Sherrock and her army of supporters.

Fallon Sherrock is the 1.85 favourite and rightly so.

Sunday Evening PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point Fallon Sherrock to win @ 1.85 with Fitzdares, Quinnbet

Jonny Clayton vs. Keane Barry

Time for The Ferret to get his campaign underway against the Irish Youngster, Keane Barry.

Barry beat Royden Lam 3-2 in the first round. He was 2-0 up a in total control, but he got tight, and Lam was able to come back at him and take it to a decider. It wasn’t a great performance by Barry, and he is up against arguably the player of the year in Clayton.

The players coming into their second-round match having already won a match, have performed well, by and large. They are already in the game and playing against players just getting started. Of the seven seeds to have played so far (Sunday Lunchtime) only Peter Wright failed to drop a set, but only one, the out of form Ratajski, lost.

These two have met twice, both in floor events and Clayton won both, 6-4 and 6-3. I can’t see Clayton losing to Barry, but could Barry take a set? He will have to improve substantially but he can play a lot better than he did in the opening match. Even Peter Wright nearly lost a set with the first going to a deciding leg. There is a pattern of the players who have already won a match starting better and it is usually the first set they pick up before the seed moves up a gear or two.

Sunday Evening PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point Jonny Clayton to win 3-1 @ 3.60 with SpreadEx

-JamesPunt