It's last 16 time at Blackpool's Winter Gardens as the winning post in round 2 of the World Matchplay goes up a notch to 11 legs (with a 2+ legs difference of course). Six seeds have gone already, and half of those Pro Tour qualifiers feature tonight.
First up it's the former World Youth Champions in 2014's Michael Smith and 2015's Max Hopp. Bully Boy had to surge back from 3-6 against Jamie Hughes to avoid what would have been the biggest upset of the first round, whereas the Maximiser reversed a 4-7 deficit to knock out Dave Chisnall.
The eccentric methodical men follow as bipolar disorder's James Wade and everyone's favourite unorthodox Serbo-Austrian Mensur Suljovic collide. The Machine used all his experience to reverse 6-9 against Jeffrey de Zwaan and survive five match darts to go through in only the third sudden death leg in Empress Ballroom history, while it was suitably genteel for the Gentle as Jermaine Wattimena's meltdown saw him drop just a single leg.
Moaning elderly veterans with back problems collide as defending champion Gary Anderson takes on Mervyn King. An underpar Flying Scotsman was thankful Danny Noppert didn't pressure him enough in the early stages, but a repeat of the King's stunning showing to remove Nathan Aspinall from contention in the opening game may see another reigning major champion dumped out.
Then, the main event. TV meetings between reigning PDC and BDO World Champs are rare: the last one was in October 2014 and saw the BDO boy (a certain S. Bunting) get hammed 4-0 in Dublin! But 3-time Sid Waddell trophy winner Michael van Gerwen comes into his match with 3-time Lakeside champ Glen Durrant with a problem: he just cannot finish legs off. Steve Beaton had already given up before he got onto the oche against MVG, but Duzza certainly won't surrender, especially after his disposal of schizophrenic Adrian Lewis and a big win against the Dutchman earlier this year.
Coverage starts from 7:00pm UK time on Sky Sports Action.
>Tonight’s matches (Best of 21 legs) Michael "Snackpot 2.0" Smith (5) v Max "My Wife's Son" Hopp James "The Meds Are Back In Town" Wade (8) v Mensur "DIE MEISTER, DIE BESTEN" Suljovic (9) Gary "Big Game Crier" Anderson (4) v Mervyn "The Ex-Governor" King MvGOAuTism (1) v Glen "Phantom of the Opera" Durrant
All matches must be won by 2 clear legs, with up to 5 extra legs played to decide a winner. If the match is tied after 5 extra legs, a final sudden death leg will be played.
Guessing Barney's been hinting at retiring earlier than December then.
Christopher Myers
after he lost to mvg at the zwarte cross
Robert Ross
what a fucking tit he is, really
Angel Campbell
Hopp > Smith Wade > Mensur Ando > King MVG > Durrant (tempted to pick Duzza but hopefully MVG will get his shit together)
Noah Nguyen
>you now remember when we were sad a few years ago that we would eventually have to retire How the tables have turned
Nathan Lopez
I unironically think that Merv is going to upset Ando tonight.
Samuel Hill
Could easily see the underdog winning every bout tonight. Really looking forward to it
Hudson Parker
Only the fourth time the two world champions have met in a televised competitive (non-exbo) encounter:
2019: MVG vs Durrant (2nd round World Matchplay) 2014: MVG 4-0 Bunting (SF World Grand Prix) 2008: Webster 10-2 Part (L16, GSOD) 2006 Klaasen 7-6 Taylor (International Darts League, Last 16)
Samuel Anderson
>Webster 10-2 Part >Klaasen 7-6 Taylor wew
Jeremiah Turner
Such a shame that Webby got struck by the dreaded D.
His first couple years in the PDC were electric. One of my all-time favourites.
Alexander Diaz
And only the second time it's occurred in a non-crossover event.
It's the truth though. Without the split, Wolfie would have forever been an also ran.
Wyatt Nelson
Didnt all these guys fail q school? Maybe we need to put q school on stage and introduce a hybrid scoring/gimmick based points system
Carson Hill
Are you telling me youd rather watch hunchback throw a yet another 100 average than watch based wolfie smiling and laughing through a game with a 85-90 average? Honestly?
Isaiah Myers
Who knows, he might have sneaked a major title or two in a alternate unified darts world. He's a World Matchplay semifinalist after all and in his peak was unironically one of the top players.
Julian King
None of them even entered.
David Bailey
>and in his peak was unironically one of the top players. Genuine delusion.
Henry James
Duzza is errr pretty good
Easton Murphy
>in his peak was unironically one of the top players.
Based Glen giving hope to a every darts player in the world with Asian heritage.
Jacob Morris
No he didn't.
Logan Wood
Ok Des
Cameron Russell
>this man can hit anything >T7
Christopher Nguyen
Watching based Wolfie laugh and smile his way to a close defeat through polite applause is what makes darts great desu Fuck cunts like Van Autism beating his chest and boring boring tables chants
THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT THE NEW GOAT
He's a top player and has always been dangerous on the floor and still is having watched him a bit this year, its why you keep seeing him at the tv events, just never seems to have a run on the tv anymore but he's not slipped away like some. Really want a King v Durrant Semi final now. Btw you had Wade do his Tour mates thing which is pretty funny and cuntish as youd expect, but he names drops the King as the best in practice
Well that was something, wasn't it? Another Tuesday masterclass at Blackpool that is up there with the best sessions of darts ever. Just the one match failed to surpass 19 legs and last year's two finalists and the world number 1 are all on their way out of the Winter Gardens.
Michael Smith made his first Matchplay quarters with a battling 12-10 victory over Max Hopp which saw Bully Boy recover from 4-1 down to rattle off 5 legs straight. The Maximiser led again at 9-8 and 10-9, but a crucial dart at tops for 11-10 in the tiebreak was missed and he imploded in the 22nd and deciding leg.
Mensur Suljovic binned an 8-5 lead to be knocked out by the persistent James Wade. The Gentle was 4-5 down against the Machine before winning 4 on the spin but missed 3 darts for 9-6 that was followed by a 141 checkout for Wade to level it at 8-8. Suljovic got a key break in the tie break for 11-10, but saw his scoring collapse to lose 3 legs straight and go home.
Gary Anderson's reign as Matchplay champion is over after a superb finishing display from Mervyn King. The King hit 5/5 to go 5-1 up but then faltered in the heat allowing the Flying Scotsman to bring it back to 6-6 and then let the Scot go ahead 7-6. A superb 136 for 7-7 stunned Gando and could only win 1 further leg with Merv finishing at 55%.
The game of the night delivered as Glen Durrant sent Michael van Gerwen packing in one of the best games ever seen on the Empress Ballroom stage. Mighty Mike rectified his finishing early doors but his scoring saw him go down a break in leg 6. Duzza put the foot down and broke again in leg 11, but a missed dart at D8 for 9-6 to Durrant saw the real MVG return and eventually won 4 legs straight. However, his scoring slipped in the crucial 20th leg and Glen slammed in a 112 for extra time. The Dutchman missed 4 for 11-10 and the Boro boy broke twice before taking out tops for the historic victory with a 99 average and 43% checkout.
