2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Preview & Tips – JP
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Preview
Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 preview. We had just the one winner this afternoon, James is hoping to bounce back this evening.
Ricardo Pietreczko vs. Martin Schindler
Martin Schindler was magnificent last night. He beat James Wade 6-4 and it was a really good performance from Wade. However, he didn’t have a chance against Schindler, who averaged 111.37. He hit six maximums and was 60% on the doubles. It was darts of the highest order, against an opponent who was doing everything he could.
Wade averaged 99.7 and was 100% on the doubles. Prime Wade, and he was made to look ordinary. Schindler has won eight of his last ten matches, hit five ton plus averages and just one sub 95. He is in the form of his life.
Pietreczko is not in any sort of form, losing seven of his last ten. He has had two ton plus averages, including a 108.65 in a 6-0 demolition of Adam Gawlas in PC7. He has the game, but his confidence can’t be great given so many defeats.
Their H2H record is 2-1 to Ricardo, including a 6-2 win the Euro Tour 13 last year, which Pietreczko went on to win. Ricardo averaged 107 in that match and I can envisage something similar here, only it will be Schindler hitting the big ton plus…and going on to win the title.
Schindler is the 1.48 favourite but I’ll take him on the handicap.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Martin Schindler to win- 1.5 legs @ 1.80 with Ladbrokes
Daniel Klose vs. Andrew Gilding
Daniel Klose got into this event after the late withdrawal of Gerwyn Price, the Welshman suffering with a back problem. Straight into the second round and a guaranteed £2500. His recent form sees six wins from his last ten matches and there have been some good scores.
Andrew Gilding did enough to beat a local qualifier and win his first Euro Tour match of the year yesterday. Gilding won 6-2 but only averaged 81.
That can happen when playing someone averaging 74, but the problem is that Gilding has been playing poorly on a regular basis. He has won six of his last ten matches, a good run for him in 2024. His win rate this season is just 42% and five of his last ten matches have seen sub 92.5 averages.
These two have only met once and Klose won that 6-1 last April.
Klose is the 2.30 outsider and worth backing.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Daniel Klose to win @ 2.30 with Betfred, Ladbrokes
Ross Smith vs. Raymond van Barneveld
Barney got off to a winning start yesterday, beating Mike de Decker 6-5, but only averaging 89.5. RVB has lost six of his last ten matches and he is lacking any great consistency.
Ross Smith has won seven of his last ten matches, and many have been quite bizarre. Smith’s season has been one where he either plays great, and loses, or plays poorly and wins. He was runner up last weekend and is still searching for his first Euro Tour title.
Their H2H record extends to just one match, a 6-2 win for Smith in PC 30 late last year. Smith is the 1.61 favourite but we are on him outright and that will do for me.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: No Bet
Josh Rock vs. Dimitri van den Bergh
Van den Bergh has not been well recently and he was forced to withdraw from last week’s tournament. His form before that saw seven defeats in his last ten matches. He won the UK Open and has followed it up with very little. His 6-5 win over Gabriel Clemens last night saw a 93.5 average and it was OK, nothing more.
Josh Rock fluffed his lines in last weekend’s quarter final loss to Gary Anderson, going down 5-6. He has won six of his last ten matches and is looking more like his old self again.
Their H2H record is 3-1 to Van den Bergh. Hopefully Rock can improve on that. Rock is the 1.75 favourite and, as in the previous match, we have backed Rock outright and I will watch this and hope he can get a win in a tricky match.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: No Bet
Michael van Gerwen vs. Jeffrey de Zwaan
De Zwaan rolled back the years yesterday and played like his old self, which was a bummer for our bet on Sedlacek. Evil Charlie played well but De Zwaan was better.
De Zwaan has now won six of his last ten matches, but last night’s 99.18 average was his second best of the year. It is hard to think that he will be able to repeat it.
Michael van Gerwen is struggling with his form, but he was good enough to beat De Zwaan 6-4 in ET2 last month. Van Gerwen has won seven of his last ten matches but he is hitting a lot of low 90s averages and that makes him vulnerable.
MVG is 7-2 with De Zwaan and the last time De Zwaan won was in 2018, and he was in great form back then. Injury has stopped his career progressing. He says he is playing better, but the evidence says otherwise.
If MVG continues to struggle with his scoring, then De Zwaan might get a look in, but he is hard to fancy to win outright. MVG is the 1.22 favourite, De Zwaan 4.75. I’ll take a chance on De Zwaan being able to make something of a match of this, if MVG splutters once more.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.75 with Skybet
Peter Wright vs. Danny Lauby
Peter Wright as an odds on favourite? Interesting.
Danny Lauby got his first Euro Tour win yesterday, beating a disappointing Ryan Joyce 6-4. The lefty averaged a respectable 93.53 and something similar could be enough to get him into the final days play.
He won his tour card in January, has a seasonal win rate of 65%, and has won seven of his last ten matches. His seasonal average is just 90.17, so we can’t get carried away about his chances.
Peter Wright has now lost his last nine matches in a row. He has hit a couple of ton plus averages and managed a 98.7 in a 3-6 loss to MVG on Thursday. Wright got off to a decent start in that match, going 2-0, but once MVG applied some pressure, Wright just folded. That is what losing so many matches does.
Wright is 1.60 to win, Lauby 2.50. The temptation is to back the American. You can’t back Wright given his poor form, but Lauby is very inexperienced and is bound to be nervous. No bet.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: No Bet
Jonny Clayton vs. Chris Dobey
A repeat of last week’s fixture which Clayton won 6-5. He played well, finished well, but Dobey arguably should have won. Clayton followed up that win with 87.9 and a 4-6 defeat to MVG. Clayton has lost six of his last ten matches and his seasonal average is just 91.47.
Chris Dobey is in the form of his life, has a seasonal average of 96.99, and has won six of his last ten matches. He opened up with a 106.53 average in a 6-2 win over Graham Hall.
Clayton is 8-5 against Dobey and has won six of their last seven. Dobey has to get over that H2H record and realise he is the better player right now.
Dobey is the 1.53 favourite, with Clayton 2.75. I would say that is a fair reflection of the players’ chances, but it makes no appeal betting wise.
2024 Austrian Darts Open R2 Tip: No Bet
Damon Heta vs. Luke Littler
Could we have a repeat of their UK Open quarter final please? That match was a classic with the two players trading blows, and Heta came out on top, winning 10-8. Littler got some revenge the following week, beating Heta 6-3 in ET1.
Heta has won six of his last ten matches and hit a 117 average when beating Micky Mansell 6-2 last weekend. He followed that up with a 92.8 and 90.68 when losing his quarter final to Ross Smith. When he is good, he is very good, when he isn’t, he is a bit meh.
Luke Littler won PL Night 13 on Thursday, made it over to Graz for his first round match last night and averaged just 91.61 in a 6-2 win over Zoran Lerchbacher. It was hardly classic Littler, but I guess his travelling wasn’t ideal preparation.
Littler is the 1.44 favourite, Heta 2.90. Backing Heta is a bit high risk due to his lack of consistency, but when he fires, he is one of the players to have the game to beat Littler in a straight fight.
Hopefully the audience are treated to another great match.
