A display of sensational finishing saw Gerwyn Price (4/1 – Tournament Outright) advance through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 Betfred World Matchplay with an 11-8 win against Dave Chisnall.
2021 World champion Price hit a 161 and 164 on his way to beating Chisnall and managed to rally despite being 6-4 down at the second break.
The Welshman levelled with a 124 – another bull checkout – to bring the game back to 6-6 before going on to win five of the next seven legs to continue his quest for a maiden Matchplay title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilz2NE3iRUE?feature=oembed
Jose de Sousa (16/1 – Tournament Outright) will play Price in the last eight after holding off Rob Cross to win 11-8 with both players averaging over 103.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq_HHSsY1O4?feature=oembed
Meanwhile, Michael Smith’s wait for a TV major goes on as he was knocked out by number 14 seed Dirk van Duijvenbode (7/1 – Tournament Outright), who averaged 98.
The Dutchman was out of the blocks quickly and hit the Big Fish 170 checkout – the highest of the tournament so far – to go 4-0 up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abmhSMykSbU?feature=oembed
Smith was far from his best and although he missed double 12 for a nine-darter later in the game, van Duijvenbode sealed an 11-7 win.
Finally, Danny Noppert (8/1 – Tournament Outright) will face compatriot Van Duijvenbode in the last eight after a brilliant 11-4 win against Daryl Gurney.
The “Freeze” was always in command against the Northern Irishman and delighted the Blackpool crowd with a “no-look” 180 en route to victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUPr54qImzc?feature=oembed
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Thursday night sees the start of the quarter-finals with matches now first to 16 legs.
A repeat of last year’s final kicks off proceedings with world number one Peter Wright playing Dimitri Van den Bergh (Wright 4/5, Van den Bergh EVS – Match Winner) on the Winter Gardens stage.
Wright was an 18-9 victor last year but was pushed all the way by Krzysztof Ratajski in his last-16 clash and will need to raise his game against the Belgian.
The second quarter-final on Thursday night sees Michael van Gerwen face Nathan Aspinall (Van Gerwen 4/7, Aspinall 7/5 – Match Winner) in what could be a blockbuster clash.
MVG strolled past Joe Cullen in the last 16 while Aspinall got the better of 2007 Matchplay winner James Wade.
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