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BDO 2014 World Championship Day Three Premium Picks.
Another full day of darts yesterday, and it was full of high drama. We had a close call for Christian Kist, as he was pushed all the way by Hiroaki Shimizu – the Japanese player almost causing another upset, before Kist’s experience took over. Robbie Green was a comfortable winner, and it was proof Richie George needs to adda few more points to his game to be a real threat. Ron Meulenkamp almost done us a huge turn, but was unable to take the final set from Gary Robson – the Englishman getting the better of the Dutchman in the end. The evening session was interesting, with Mike Day getting an easy win over Sam Head, setting up a clash with Glen Durrant in the first round. The night’s other prelim game saw a shock with Jim Widmayer knocking out Garry Thompson. Thompson was shocking, given the amount of experience he has at the Lakeside, and Widmayer will need to up his game to get past Stephen Bunting. Fianlly, Rick Hofstra put in a fantastic performance to get us a win, whitewashing Remco van Eijden in one of the most comfortable win the Dutchman will ever have. So, we are now 3-8-9.8 units, but we’ve got some good bets for today.
Yet another double session, with the first three matches on BBC Two this afternoon, and then the second lot of matches on the Red Button or on the BBC website. We start with Darryl Fitton taking on Tony Eccles in a battle of the experienced players. Then Karel Sedlacek and Paul Hogan face off in the day’s first prelim match. The final match of the afternoon has Jan Dekker taking on Benito van den Pas. The evening session starts off with Geert de Vos taking on Madar Razam, then it’s another prelim match with Jeroen Geerdink taking on Dave Prins. The evening session finishes with Ross Montgomery taking on qualifier Michael Meaney.
Darryl Fitton vs Tony Eccles
Yet another high-profile match in the first round, as the experienced Darryl Fitton and Tony Eccles face off. Since his return to the BDO, Eccles has climbed the rankings with ease, winning two tournaments this year, most notably the British Classic, where he Remco van Eijden in the final. Fitton has had about as much success as Eccles this year, winning the Police Masters and making the semi-finals of the World Masters. What is notable is how similar both men’s years have been. However, Eccles’ win at the British Classic in August is more recent, and looks better on paper than Fitton’s run at the World Masters, as Fitton was thrashed 6-0 in his first match against high-quality opposition; Stephen Bunting. I think Eccles is overpriced here, and while Fitton has gone well in the past, he’s just a bit too short against quality opposition in Eccles.
Tony Eccles to beat Darryl Fitton Best price 7/4 (Various)
Recommend: 1 unit.
Karel Sedlacek vs Paul Hogan
This is a bit of a tricky one. What I’ve seen of Karel Sedlacek has me thinking he’s one of the handier qualifiers, with average scoring, but impressive finishing, which is what a lot of the qualifiers need. However, he’s got a terrible draw in the shape of the veteran Paul Hogan, who is coming back to some form, winning the Gold Cup, beating WDF No.1 James Wilson in the final, and putting a decent run together at the World Masters, before losing to Benito van de Pas 3-2. So I think Hogan should have enough to get through. Of course, the value isn’t there on the outrights, However, I think Hogan’s experience on the stage should be enough to ensure it’s a reasonably comfortable victory, and if he can reproduce the form that got him the Gold Cup, Sedlacek shouldn’t get more than 1 set.
Paul Hogan -1.5 sets to beat Karel Sedlacek Best price 11/10 (Various)
Recommend: 2.5 units.
Jan Dekker vs Benito van de Pas
Yet another all-Dutch clash, and it’s one that should be a cracker. We know all about Jan Dekker by now, and he’s now taken to the PDC Challenge Tour, like a lot of his younger BDO compatriots. Dekker has had some success on the Challenge Tour, and has also won the Luxembourg Open, and the International Open. It’s been one of the better years for the no.6 seed. By comparison, Benito van de Pas, like Dekker, also won a PDC Challenge Tour event, and reached a final in another. He didn’t win on the WDF/BDO circuit, but made a few quarter-finals along the way, most notably as Zuiderduin, beating Martin Atkins and Remco van Eijden, before losing 3-0 to Stephen Bunting. This should be close, and there’s no denying Dekker is in good form. While Van de Pas is playing reasonably well, Dekker has a confidence about his game at the moment, and I can see him getting the better of Van de Pas, who is yet to make it past Round One at the World Championship.
Jan Dekker -1.5 sets to beat Benito van de Pas Best price 11/10 (Various)
Recommend: 2 units.
Geert de Vos vs Madars Razma
A rematch from the Last 32 of the World Masters here, and Geert de Vos was fantastic in his 3-0 win over Madars Razma. De Vos was hitting big scores, putting in high checkouts and not giving Razma a chance. Razma looked OK in his prelim match against John Michael, but an average below 80 shouldn’t trouble De Vos. De Vos is short for a reason, and at the World Masters, Razma didn’t get close to the Dutchman, and I can’t see it happening again tonight. De Vos is a class act on his day, he’s one of the fast-playing Dutch contingent and he’ll get through comfortably against someone who didn’t impress too much in the preim round.
Geert de Vos -1.5 sets to beat Madars Razma Best price 4/6 (Paddy Power)
Recommend: 3 units.
Jeroen Geerdink vs Dave Prins
I don’t know too much about Jeroen Geerdink, I have to admit. But he’s qualified here through merit, and he’s got to face the experienced Dave Prins in the Prelim Match. Prins came through the Hull Qualifiers, after a quiet year. The thing to remember about Prins is that he’s never made it past the Last 32 at the BDO World Championship. Of course, neither has Geerdink, but then he’s never played here. I think Prins’s experience should come through here, and he did only drop 2 sets in the qualifier. He beat Andy Boulton on his way to the final, which is a good result in most players’ books. Prins is quite a big price, but I think we’ll actually take on the handicap yet again, as Geerdink shouldn’t be in the class of someone with the experience of Prins. That’s not to say Prins is a world-beater, but on the Lakeside stage, experience does matter.
Dave Prins -1.5 sets to beat Jeroen Geerdink Best price 11/8 (Various)
Recommend: 2 units.
Ross Montgomery vs Michael Meaney
Michael Meaney won through his qualifier comfortably against Harley Kemp with an 80 average. It wasn’t a bad performance, but he was let off a couple of times by his opponent. But he might have to up his game a little to get past Montgomery. The Scotsman made the semi-finals in Zuiderduin, beating Robbie Green 5-3 in the group stages, along with Yordi Meeuwisse, then Gary Robson in the quarter-finals, before losing to James Wilson 3-0. So he didn’t beat the big guns of the game, but the Robbie Green form line holds up, as does the Robson line. I think Meaney should be able to take a set from Montgomery, and possibly push him, and the handicap line appeals for a small dabble. He only needs to find a couple of points on his 80 average to really challenge Montgomery, as the Scotsman isn’t the most consistent scorer out there. Plus, with a match on the stage under his belt, Meaney won’t be suffering from stage fright.
Michael Meaney -1.5 sets to beat Ross Montgomery Best price 5/4 (Boylesports)
Recommend: 1 unit.
That’s all for the Day Three of the 2014 BDO World Championship. I’ll be back tomorrow with more Premium Picks.
