Friday International Darts Open Tips

The first Euro Tour event starts this afternoon and you can see our outright preview here. Check out James Punt’s Friday International Darts Open tips below.

David Schlichting vs. Brian Raman

Schlichting won five qualifying matches yesterday to make his first euro tour event. He averaged 78.75 across those matches with a best of 82.3 in his final match. That is unlikely to be good enough against new tour card holder Brian Raman.

That said, Raman wasn’t pulling up any trees in the players championship events two weeks ago, only managing a 6-5 win over Darren Webster and averaging under 80 in all three of his matches. He has won just one of his last seven matches

Both players will be nervous and in a best of eleven format the outsiders all have a punchers chance.

Friday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point David Schlichting to win @ 5.50 with SpreadEx

Jermaine Wattimena vs. Nico Springer

Spring is another of the local qualifiers. His average of 87.7 was the best of all the qualifiers and he played pretty consistently across his matches.

The perpetually under achieving Wattimena has won six of his last ten and of course in the better player, playing at the higher level. His 2022 average is just 90.4 however and I just have a near golden rule that you must oppose Wattimena at any given opportunity. However, The Machine Gun is very experienced on the euro tour and since 2016 has played thirty first round matches and won nineteen.

I will break my habitual opposition of Wattimena and hopefully not regret it.

Madars Razma vs. Wayne Jones

I have to wonder what state of mind Razma will be in. Being Latvian, his homeland will feel a little nervous right now. Having a land border with Mad Vlad’s Russia must be unsettling for some one of fighting age. His 2022 form is OK, winning six of his last ten matches, averaging only 90.2. He has a losing H2H record against Jones, 1-2, with all matches played in 2019.

Wayne Jones has lost his tour card since qualifying for this, so this is a big chance to win some much needed cash. He plays on the Challenge Tour these days, winning six of his last ten and averaging 85.7.

It is hard to get too excited by this one. Razma is the 1.44 favourite, he should win, but Jones will be no push over despite being in decline. No bet.

Fabian Schmutzler vs. Daryl Gurney

The upside of entering at the first round stage for Superchin is that if he wins, his £2k will be counting ranking money. The seeded plyers must win their second round match before their money is counted for ranking purpose. Gurney is in good form, winning eight of his last ten matches, averaging 95.3 in 2022.

Young Schmutzler will have taken a day of school to play this weekend. He came through the local qualifier yesterday averaging 87.5. He lost his opening match at the World Championship in December but the fact that he qualified flags him up as a young talent to watch out for. He is back on the Development Tour where he won two titles last year from just six tournaments played. He has won nine of his fourteen matches played this year, but this is a big jump in class.

Superchin is the 1.20 favourite to win and he should do just that, but the odds are of no interest.

Adam Gawlas vs. Vincent van Der Voort

Gawlas is a player with great promise but still learning the ropes. He has a tour card and while he is only averaging 90.5, he has put in some good performances at senior level. He has beaten Dave Chisnall, De Sousa and Simon Whitlock in 2022 and had three consecutive ton plus averages in PC 4 two weeks ago. He averaged 107.2 when beating De Sousa 6-4 and there is no doubt he can play at a very high level.

Vincent van der Voort has won eight of his twelve matches in 2022, but is averaging just 91.7. He has a ton of experience but is no more than a good journeyman these days. I’ll give the outsider a chance here.

Friday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point Adam Gawlas to win @ 2.30 with SpreadEx

Luke Woodhouse vs. Andy Boulton

Boulton has won half of his 12 matches in 2021 and has averaged 93.6. This will be his seventh match with Wood house and he has won just two, a Home Tour match and players championship match in 2015.

Woodhouse is averaging 89.2 in 2022 and won six from eleven matches. His euro tour experience suggests he was travelling to get some duty free rather than play darts. He has played ten first round matches and won just two.

Boulton is the 1.91 favourite and I can’t disagree with that. No bet.

Keane Barry vs. Ron Meulenkamp

Young Irish hopeful, Keane Barry is splitting his time playing on the pro tour and development tour. He has won seven of his last ten on the DT, and he has picked up one title there already in 2022. At senior level he has played 14 matches in 2022 and won 9, including reaching the quarter final of PC3 two weeks ago.

Ron the Bomb has won just four of his ten matches in 2022, averaging 91.2. His career has not gone anywhere in the last year or two, but he can still put in a decent performance now and then.

Barry is the 1.73 favourite and again it is hard to argue with those odds. No bet.

Ryan Searle vs. Ritchie Edhouse

Searle may not be in top form, losing four of his last ten matches, but he is averaging 97.1 in 2022 and winning 64% of his matches. He might not have wanted to draw Edhouse for this first round match as he has never beaten him in their three previous matches. Searle is getting the hang of the euro tour and he has won his last six first round matches.

Edhouse comes here on the back of four straight defeats and he has been very inconsistent so far in 2022. He is capable good performances but he is up against a much heavier scorer here.

Searle is the 1.30 favourite and this is another no bet match.

-JamesPunt