Saturday International Darts Open Tips – JP
Saturday International Darts Open Tips
Day 1 of the International Darts Open didn’t go that well overall. However, we did manage to finish with a nice 2.20 winner and James will be looking to keep that momentum going today. Check out his Saturday International Darts Open tips and preview below.
Jose de Sousa vs. Brian Raman
This should be a routine win for The Special one. Raman was fairly ordinary when beating young Schlichting 6-3 yesterday, averaging 80.1. He has won just three pro tour matches since getting his tour card in January and is averaging 86 in 2022. De Sousa has won six of his last ten, is not yet back to his best, but his seasonal average of 97 will be too much for Raman. De Sousa can be a bit of a slow starter but his firepower will prevail.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 0.5 point De Sousa to win 6-3 @ 5.25 with Fitzdares
Damon Heta vs. Daryl Gurney
You would have thought that this may have been one of the evening matches rather than second up in the afternoon.
They have met twice with Damon Heta winning both, 6-2 and 6-4. It is fair to say that Superchin looks in better form now, but so is Heta. The Aussie has won 75% of his matches in 2022 and is averaging 100.7. That compares to a 74% win rate for Gurney and a seasonal average of 95.3. I wouldn’t read too much into Daryl’s first round win 6-2 over Fabian Schmutzler yesterday. It was a typical low grade euro tour opener. Gurney rarely got out of first gear, but he will have find is A game to have a hope of getting his first win over Heta.
Heta is in great form and was runner up in PC 2 weeks ago. He averaged 102.9 that day and he looks to have a scoring advantage, but Gurney is capable of hitting the big numbers as well. Heta is ranked 13th for 180’s per leg over the last 12 months, Gurney 14th. If these two are not still mentally in bed, it could kick off in terms of maximums.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point over 5.5 180’s @ 2.20 with Betfair
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Lewy Williams
These two have met once, on the euro tour last year. Williams played well, averaged 98.7 and beat The Polish Eagle 6-3 that day. He then played like a plank in the third round and lost to Adam Gawlas. Williams has a lot of talent and self-confidence, if he plays well, he can live with the top players, but he could just as easily play poorly. He is still young, and the B game is not yet in place.
Ratajski is averaging 94.1 in 2022, below his 12 month average which suggest he has started 2022 not in great form. He has reached a couple of players championship quarter finals, so he is winning a good few matches but rarely playing at his best. He has developed a good B game.
Ratajski is the 1.33 favourite with Williams at 3.75. Obviously, Ratajski is the higher ranked player and is a multiple title winner, but if Williams plays near his best, and there were signs of that in his win yesterday, he can beat Ratajski. He looked relaxed and a bit cocky. He is a player to keep on your side this year, improving and still underrated by the market.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point Lewy Williams to win @ 3.75 with Hills, Betfred
Danny Noppert vs. Merv King
King is 2-1 up in the H2H stats but this is not a normal match. Danny Noppert has not played competitively since 28 December, having taken time out for the birth of his first child. We can only guess as to how well he has prepared for this, how much rust is in his arm. We also do not know if becoming a dad is going to unleash the Nappy Factor and motivate Noppert to bring back the bacon to the family table.
Merv King beat János Végső 6-3 yesterday in a grumpy performance which tells me that he is unhappy with his form. King is only averaging 87.8 in 2022 and it was 84.4 yesterday. He hasn’t averaged better than 93 in 2022 and yesterday was only his sixth match won this year.
Noppert is the 1.67 favourite, despite his lay off, but such is King’s lack of form, there can be no other favourite. I’ll back Noppert to be raring to go and take advantage of an out of form King.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point Noppert to beat King -1.5 legs @ 2.15 with Ladbrokes
Brendan Dolan vs. Nico Springer
Local qualifier, Nico Springer, beat Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 yesterday and left me kicking myself for not following the golden rule and opposing Wattimena. His reward is a guaranteed £2k and a reasonable chance of making it £3k if he can extend Dolan’s losing run in 2022 to six. The History Maker has yet to register a single win in 2022 and is averaging just 88.7.
Winning local qualifiers rarely go far in these euro tour events and the second round is a bit of a graveyard for them, but Dolan has to find his B game, never mind his A game. Springer had five winning legs of 15 darts or fewer, which is good stuff and he held his nerve after Wattimena came from 1-4 to 4-4, but Springer won the last two legs.
Mentally, Springer may have shot his bolt, but he must a reasonable chance here.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point Nico Springer to win @ 3.75 with Betfred, Hills
Devon Petersen vs. Kim Huybrechts
Huybrechts averaged 97.5 in his 6-3 win over Florian Hempel yesterday. Another impressive display by the in-form Belgian veteran. He has a 5-3 H2H record over Petersen, but most of that form is a bit dated. The Hurricane has won eleven of his last thirteen matches and is hungry for more at a favourite venue.
Petersen has won just two of his last ten matches, but he is starting to show some form, even if he is still losing. He needs to get a bit of a run going, to get used to winning again, but facing an in-form Huybrechts is a big task.
Huybrechts is the 1.53 favourite, Petersen 2.75.
Petersen has lost all four of his players championship matches this year but his last five matches this season has seen three 98 averages, a 96 and a 90. He only won one, but he took Peter Wright to a decider in one and was 4-6 to Luke Humphries in another. He is bubbling under and Huybrechts will have to play well to win.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 0.5 point Huybrechts to win 6-4 @ 6.00 generally available
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.05 with Ladbrokes, Fitzdares
James Wade vs. Vincent van der Voort
Big Vinny put in a stella performance to beat Adam Gawlas 6-3 Yesterday. Gawlas did nothing wrong and averaged 97, but Van der Voort averaged 103.4 and had checkouts of 137 and 157 when Gawlas was poised to take the leg. If he keeps that up, Wade is in trouble. Vincent has won eight of his last ten matches, but that was his best performance by some margin. He is unlikely to repeat it and he rarely has long runs these days but he has to have a chance here.
Wade has won seven of his last ten matches and is averaging 95 this season. He has a 18-7 H2H record with Van der Voort but has lost three of their last four.
Wade is the 1.62 favourite and Van der Voort 2.62. It is a hard call, but I expect a fairly close match.
Saturday International Darts Open Tips: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.00 with Ladbrokes, Fitzdares
Nathan Aspinall vs. Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith had a 35 hour journey to get to the venue and only made it with a couple of hours to spare, but he won his first round match 6-4 with an 87 average. He now faces the returning Nathan Aspinall who has not played for a couple of months. He has said that he is still not fully recovered from his tendon problem, and it is anybody’s guess as to what his form will be. Normally he would be a strong favourite to win this, and he has been priced as if he is fully fit and playing well. Aspinall is the 1.30 favourite and being backed. Has someone seen he practicing and playing well? Maybe, but Smith at 4.00 makes more sense to me.
Aspinall has 4-2 H2H record over Smith, but we just do not know how he is going to play and he is worth opposing with Smith who is free rolling now he has bagged his guaranteed £2k.
