Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Preview

Check out all of James Punt’s tips for today’s action in his Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday afternoon session preview.

Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Ted Evetts

Super Ted was far from super when beating Ryan Murray 6-5 yesterday. He only managed an 82 average and to be honest, Murray should have won but he bottled it. His seasonal average is only 89.3 and he is under pressure to save his card. Winning this would go a long way to doing just that. A win today earns him £3k, with a further £6k minimum for qualifying for the European Championship. This is a season defining match and he is under pressure as a result.

Duijvenbode is beatable. His recent form sees just two wins from his last ten. His only win in the last two and a half months was a 4-3 win over Larith Lim in the World Cup. He can still hit big scores and on paper should blow Evetts away, but his confidence must be in tatters.

The H2H record is 2-0 to Dirk, both easy wins, 6-1 and 6-2.

This a hard one to call. Evetts isn’t scoring well and needs the win. Duijvenbode just can’t win at the moment but this is a good chance to make the third round. This could be a messy, scrappy affair and as such either one can win and the value lies with Evetts.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 1 point Ted Evetts to win @ 3.50 with Ladbrokes

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday: Brendan Dolan vs. Merv King

A veteran’s match to open proceedings. These two old pro’s have only met 13 times over the centuries with Dolan holding a slender 7-6 lead. They haven’t met in 2021 but King won their last two meetings in 2020 and 2019. King won his first round match 6-0 averaging 94.9 against a local qualifier. That is very much inline with his seasonal average of 95.5. He has won six of his last ten matches.

Brendan Dolan has won seven of his last ten and much like King his seasonal average is 95.9. The only clear difference between the two is that Dolan has a better win rate of 72% to King’s 63%.

For some reason the market makes King the marginal favourite. I would have it the other way round and expect a close affair with Dolan just edging it.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 0.5 point Dolan to win 6-5 @ 7.00 with Hills, Unibet

Danny Noppert vs. Andreas Harrysson

Harrysson overcame the odd to beat the much-vaunted Keane Barry 6-3 yesterday in a low quality affair. He averaged just 85.6 and now faces the steady if unspectacular Danny Noppert.

Noppert has won five of his last ten matches and he needs a win here to qualify for the finals in Austria next month. Noppert is consistent player, usually averages in the mid to high nineties and wins 65% of his matches. He probably should win more given his scoring.

Harrysson should be meat and drink for Noppert. Harrysson last played on the Euro Tour in 2020 when he beat Benito van de Pas in the first round but lost 3-6 to Wade in the second, with both matches seeing his average under 80. He had two legs with 15 or fewer darts yesterday and he should win a leg or two but Noppert can cover the handicap.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 2 points Danny Noppert to win -2.5 legs @ 1.95 with Hills

Damon Heta vs. Adan Hunt

Hunt looked better than his average of 89.3 suggested in his 6-0 win over Geert Nentjes yesterday. Five of his six legs won were over 15 darts and he will have to do better than that against Heta. Hunt has won six of his last ten matches but his scoring is too low to be any more successful than he is. His seasonal average is 89.1 and has been sub 90 four the last four years. Hunt has played Heta just once, in a Euro Tour match and he won that 6-1 back in 2020.

Damon Heta is a much heavier scorer, with a seasonal average of 95.6 but he isn’t in top form, losing five of his last ten. His average this month is nearer 90 and he will have to be careful here. Another below par performance and Hunt can take him. Hunt hit four maximums and was 45% on the doubles yesterday and he is perfectly capable of taking his chances if they are given to him.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 1 point Hunt to win +2.5 legs @ 1.75 with Ladbrokes

Mensur Suljovic vs. Kim Huybrechts

A repeat of their recent World Cup match would be good. Suljovic won that 4-1 and both players had an average of 108. That is the story of Huybrechts life. When he plays his very best, his opponents play even better.

That match was Suljovic’s first singles match for over four months and while he lost his next match vs. Brendan Dolan, he smashed up James Wade 4-1 in his next and averaged 110. He lead Austria to the final and all things considered, it was a successful return to the action.

Huybrechts beat Boris Koltsov 6-2 yesterday and averaged 105. Every leg won was in 15 darts or less including a 13 dart and four 14 dart legs. It is very hard to live with that.

This very hard to call. It could be another very high scoring match, but that doesn’t mean it will be close, as we saw in the World Cup. I suspect Suljovic will come out on top just because Huybrechts may be the unluckiest player in the game.

Suljovic is 7-4 up in the H2H’s and has lost to Huybrechts since 2016 and has won their last six matches, three of them 6-5.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 0.5 point Mensur Suljovic to win 6-5 @ 6.50 generally available

Michael Smith vs. Simon Whitlock

Whitlock hasn’t beaten Michael Smith on stage since 2017, but he has never lost to him in the European Tour (3-0). Overall its 9-6 to Smith and he is the 1.55 favourite to win.

The Wizard beat Wayne Jones 6-1 yesterday, averaging 96. 6. He is safely through to the finals and can play with freedom. Smith is also through and he will be looking to go one better than he did in Budapest.

Smith is in good scoring form and winning plenty of matches, but very much flying under the radar. We have backed for the tournament and that is enough interest in the game for me.

James Wade vs. Boris Krčmar

Big Boris was far too good for John Henderson yesterday, averaging 97.7 for his 6-2 win. More of that and he can bother James Wade. They have met once in 2021 and Krčmar won that 6-4 in June. Wade won their only other match in 2020, also 6-4.

Wade is the 1.33 favourite which looks mighty short for an unpredictable player. He has lost three of his last six matches and he really is blowing hot and cold. If he is cold today and Boris keeps his form up, then Krčmar can win and at odds of 3.90 he should be backed.

Gibraltar Darts Trophy Saturday Tip: 1 point Boris Krčmar to win @ 3.90 with Ladbrokes

Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Ryan Searle

Searle came from behind to beat Martin Schindler 6-5. Schindy was 5-2 up but couldn’t put the match to bed and Searle hung in and was allowed to get back in and sort of fell over the line. It was a strange match, some great stuff and some not so good.

Searle leads 4-3 in the H2H’s and he won their last three, but they included two Home Tour matches last December. Searle won their only match this year 6-5. This will be their first stage match together.

Ratajski has lost his last five matches and must be a bit low in confidence.

Searle is the 2.15 outsider and I don’t see why. Again, we have backed him for the tournament and there is no need to get involved.

-JamesPunt