Austrian Darts Open Finals Night Preview & Tips – JP
Austrian Darts Open Finals Night Preview
Another session and another couple of winners for James Punt. We are now down to the last 8 and we are aiming to finish with a flourish. Check out James’ Austrian Darts Open Finals Night preview below.
Daryl Gurney vs. Danny Noppert
Superchin got his revenge on Andrew Gilding with a 6-4 win earlier. He was 1-3 down but had a good spell to take control of the match and got it over the line. It was a 93.9 average, very much in line with his seasonal average.
Gurney has won seven of his last ten matches and has been fairly consistent. We haven’t seen anything like his best so far but don’t be surprised to see something better here.
Noppert somehow beat Nathan Aspinall 6-5 having been outplayed for 99% of the match and averaging some ten points less than Aspinall. It was a match lost by The Asp but Noppert gets his chance in the quarter final. He will need to find a better performance if he is to progress. His recent form sees six wins from his last ten matches and he has been blowing hot and cold.
H2H Close
Their H2H record is very close, 7-6 to Noppert, but it was Gurney who won their only match in 2023, a 6-2 win and it ended a run of seven straight wins by Noppert. Has he that broken the hoodoo, or is Noppert still a bogeyman? They met in a Euro Tour quarter final a few years ago and Noppert won that 6-2.
Gurney is the 2.50 outsider, Noppert the 1.57 favourite. There is some value in Superchin’s odds. Noppert has not been a model of consistency recently but is being priced up like he has one foot in the semi-final. He is the better player these days and deserves to be favourite but he should have lost his match this afternoon and he is beatable.
Gurney has been off the boil for a while now but has shown plenty of good form at times this season. He is no stranger at the business end of tournaments and I’ll give him a chance here.
Austrian Darts Open Finals Night Tip: 1 point Daryl Gurney to win @ 2.50 with Ladbrokes
Jonny Clayton vs. Joe Cullen
Both players played great this afternoon. Clayton averaged 105.89 in a 6-4 win over Heta. He was 60% on the doubles and it was a very complete performance. It wasn’t quite as good as Joe Cullen, however. The Rockstar beat Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2, despite the Dutchman averaging 107.
Clayton has won seven of his last ten matches and hit six ton plus averages. Cullen has also won seven of his last ten and his 107 vs. Dirk this afternoon was his second ton plus average this weekend. He has found his A game and will be looking to reach his third semi-final in this tournament.
Their H2H record is 10-7 to Cullen. They played eight times last year and it was 5-3 to Clayton. These two are very pally and I don’t like betting in ‘friendlies’. I should also avoid betting in Joe Cullen’s matches as he usually does the opposite of what I think he will do. No bet.
Austrian Darts Open Finals Night Tip: No Bet
Josh Rock vs. Mensur Suljovic
Rock wasn’t at his best in his 6-5 win over Micky Mansell this afternoon. It was a 93.5 average and he was just 28% on the doubles. Not good enough, and if he is to reach his first Euro Tour semi-final he will need to play better. A 93 average is Rocks B game and I expect a better performance this evening. He is in great form, winning eight of his last ten, and will be hard to beat.
Suljovic pulled off a surprise win earlier, taking out the World Champion Michael Smith in a 6-2 win. Yes, it was played at a pace which didn’t suit Smith but there is no rule that dictates the pace of play. To his credit, Suljovic averaged 97 and was 55% on the doubles. Smith had his chances, didn’t take them and that was that. Scoring wise it was Suljovic’s second best performance of the year.
Slow Pace
Rock is going to face the same problem as Smith, a slow pace and a hostile crowd. He lacks the experience of Smith and it will be interesting to see how he gets. The best plan is to come out flying and shut the crowd up, but he pace of play he cannot control.
Rock is the 1.44 favourite, which is too short for a player looking to reach his first Euro Tour semi-final in a very hostile environment. Rock is our only remaining ante-post selection and I’ll not be betting this match. Suljovic beating Wright was not a surprise, but if he can beat Michael Smith, he can beat Josh Rock. No bet.
Austrian Darts Open Finals Night Tip: No Bet
Michael van Gerwen vs. Ryan Searle
MVG beat Whitlock 6-2 this afternoon, getting rid of a player who has been something of a pest to him in recent matches. He now has to do the same to Ryan Searle who has beaten Van Gerwen in their last three encounters.
They have played seven times and MVG won the first four, Heavy Metal the last three, including a Players Championship final. They haven’t played for 18 months and never on stage.
Searle was very impressive when beating Rob Cross 6-3, averaging 103 with 43% on the doubles. Cross played well again, but he just seems cursed on the Euro Tour stage. MVG only averaged 92 in his 6-2 win, but he didn’t have to engage second gear. Whitlock didn’t take his chances, missed 8 doubles and never put any pressure on his opponent.
MVG Too Short
MVG has been made the 1.33 favourite, way too short against a player who has not played much darts in 2023, but he has won a Players Championship title, been runner up in two more and reached a Euro Tour semi-final.
Heavy Metal was rusty after taking three weeks off but he looks like has played himself back into form. He doesn’t fear MVG in the same way as many still do and if MVG gets sloppy, Searle can take advantage and at the very least, give him a game.
