Justin Hood has had a fabulous debut at the PDC World Championship and came through an Ally Pally classic in round two. Happy Feet produced 11 maximums, a 103.01 average to deny Danny Noppert in a final set tie break. It was a magnificent performance and a perfect example of the huge depth in the PDC nowadays.
Ryan Meikle recovered from 2-0 behind to deny Jonny Tata and reach the last 32 for the first time in his career. The Barber hit two maximums and finished with an average of 85.54. The Ipswich star will know he'll need to improve on that to trouble Hood today, but what a huge opportunity it is for both.
Justin Hood showed incredible composure and scoring power under pressure against Danny Noppert, and I think he'll have too much for Meikle this afternoon.
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This presents a huge opportunity for both players, offering them a chance to reach the last 16 for the first time.
Ricky Evans has consistently produced fantastic performances on the Ally Pally stage, and it's quite clear he loves putting on a show and playing in front of big crowds. He should retain the crowd's support this afternoon, but it will be interesting to see how in favour they are over the emerging youngster.
Charlie Manby has shown incredible composure for his age and has looked at home on the big stage. The 20-year-old looks set to have a massive future in this sport, but I think this may just be a step too far at the moment. Experience is key on that stage, and Ricky Evans has that in abundance.
I expect it to be a close contest, and the pace of the match will suit both, but I think Evans will come clutch in the key moments and progress into the last 16.
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Neither of these players has really hit top gear yet at this year’s World Championship, which could be down to the fact that neither has been seriously pushed so far. Doets benefited from Matthew Dennant missing a lot of chances on the doubles in the opening round, which took some pressure off.
Nathan Aspinall is still the stronger player on paper, and I expect him to find his rhythm and get the job done here. That said, Doets is a dangerous opponent, and if he gets going, he’s more than capable of keeping this match close.
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This contest could go to a final set tie break and still be finished within an hour. The pace that these two play at will create plenty of excitement and big moments, and it could easily become an Ally Pally classic.
Josh Rock is expected to come through this match, and he's rightly the favourite, but he needs to be extremely careful against the Englishman.
Callan Rydz continues his love affair with Alexandra Palace and has reached the last 32 for the second consecutive year. There is no doubt that he can cause Rock problems, but he needs to get off to a good start to prevent his head dropping. If he does that, this can easily go to a final set.
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James Hurrell continued his dream run at this year's World Championship, defeating Stephen Bunting 4-3 to reach the last 16 for the first time. It was easily the best performance he has produced on the big stage, and what a time to do it.
That said, this run has been a bit of a surprise given how tough the rest of his season has been. He’s struggled badly for consistency, going out in the first round in 16 of his 34 Players Championship appearances and managing to qualify for only one European Tour event.
Ryan Searle has yet to lose a set this year, and breezed past Martin Schindler 4-0 in the last 32, producing five maximums and a 102.29 average. When Searle is in this kind of mood, his rhythm looks unbelievable, and he's a danger to anyone in this field.
Hurrell's pace could cause an issue for Searle, but other than that, I can't see any other reason for him not to produce a similar performance to the last round. If he does that, he will come through this tie and reach the quarter-final for the first time in his career.
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James is a former professional dart player who enjoys writing about darts, golf and football. In 2012, he was crowned the PDC World Youth Champion and these days, he puts his expertise to use with betting tips for BettingLounge readers.