World Matchplay Day 5 Tips: Wade and Wright to continue title charge?
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Round two at the World Matchplay draws to a close this evening with four more enticing encounters featuring eight of the PDC’s top-fifteen players.
Peter Wright, James Wade and current world champion Rob Cross are all in action as they each bid to make it through to the quarter-finals in Blackpool.
We’ve previewed all of this evening’s action below…
Simon Whitlock v James Wade (7:15pm)
Neither of these two PDC stalwarts really got going in their respective first round matches. So we’re hoping they’ll bring the best out of each other on the Winter Gardens stage tonight.
All three of their previous first-to-10-leg battles have been decided by two legs or fewer. It’s 10/11 for there to be Over 18.5 Legs in their first-to-11 contest tonight.
2007 champion James Wade has never failed to reach the quarter-finals in Blackpool after making it past the first round. He’s 8/15 to step up from his performance against Jermaine Wattimena and win through, against 6/5 for Simon Whitlock.
After sharing six 180s between them in their opening matches, it’s 5/6 for Under 9.5 Maximums here.
Mensur Suljovic v Ian White (8:15pm)
Mighty Mensur Suljovic has won both previous matches with Ian White over the longer format. He’s in the better form, too, having won the German Darts Masters and the Danish Open recently.
The Austrian arrowsmith is 12/1 to win the tournament. But he’ll need to justify 8/15 favouritism tonight first.
That shouldn’t be a problem for the number six seed, who is capable of more improvement than his opponent White. Diamond is more proficient on the 180s, though, and is 4/11 to register more here.
The Englishman also recorded three 100+ checkouts on Sunday night and is 5/6 to chalk up another finish Over 110.5 points.
Rob Cross v Darren Webster (9:15pm)
Statistically speaking, world champion Cross produced the performance of the first round to see off Mervyn King on Sunday night. Voltage clocked a 98.58 average, hit four 180s and recorded a near 50% checkout percentage.
That should be enough to see him through against Darren Webster, who will need to swot up big time after edging past Steve Lennon 10-6 in round one.
Cross is 1/5 to win the match and 5/4 to triumph as King of the Oche. He’s odds-on at 8/11 in the -3.5 Handicap market.
Peter Wright v Kim Huybrechts (10:15pm)
After six consecutive first round exits in Blackpool, Kim Huybrechts is in the second round for the first time.
The Belgian edged through 13-12 against John Henderson and will need to improve on a double percentage of 34% against tournament third-favourite Peter Wright.
Snakebite has won his last five battles against the Hurricane over the longer distance and is 3/10 to continue that record tonight.
Huybrechts clocked six more 180s than tonight’s opponent in the first round. He’s 11/10 to edge the maximum battle again here. A close game should produce Over 17.5 Legs at 4/6.
Click here for our latest World Matchplay odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
