Michael Smith Dumped Out Of Betfred World Matchplay After Poor Showing

He was beaten 11-7 by Dirk van Duijvenbode in Blackpool
23:24, 20 Jul 2022

World number three Michael Smith has been dumped out of the Betfred World Matchplay after a poor display saw him fail to find any level of consistency against Dirk van Duijvenbode. Meanwhile, Gerwyn Price got through after a scare, and Jose De Sousa produced the goods on a sensational Wednesday night. Here’s how the evening session unfolded. 

Michael Smith 7-11 Dirk van Duijvenbode 

Michael Smith was dumped out of the 2022 World Matchplay after a sensational display from Dirk van Duijvenbode to set up an all Dutch quarter-final against World Cup teammate Danny Noppert. He was utterly brilliant from the off and romped into a 4-0 lead over Bully Boy, whose slow start ultimately cost him. 

READ MORE:

Smith averaged below 80 in those first four legs, but dragged the score back to 5-4 as he got his game going by finding a 14-dart and a 12-dart leg. Smith finished with just a 23% double success rate and ultimately, despite his spirited fightback, that is what cost him as he just couldn’t put major pressure on the Dutchman. 

Van Duijvenbode fought his way back into an 8-4 lead and then held off Smith who was trying everything to find his form that was simply missing on the night. Bully Boy is out, and after MVG stole the show last night, another Dutchman lived up to the billing tonight. 

Gerwyn Price 11-8 Dave Chisnall 

The Ice Man kept his cool after the summer heatwave to come from behind and seal his place in the last eight. Chisnall could only watch on as Price nailed a 161 finish in the opening leg, but he quickly brushed that off and put the pressure on himself, as he worked his way into a 6-4 lead with some cracking finishes of his own. 

The former world champion then dug in and dragged the match back under his control as he won four legs in a row to turn the tables on his opponent. From that point, as we have seen him do so many times, he managed to keep his nose ahead and although it was a sticky finish, which saw him go down to D2, he found the finish he needed. The last eight beckons. 

Jose De Sousa 11-8 Rob Cross

'The Special One' played special darts to defeat Rob Cross in a blockbuster tie. Both players averaged above a ton but it was De Sousa that kept up the consistency and then found some key doubles when the pressure moments arrived. Cross didn’t play badly by any means, but he was stunned as his opponent moved into a 9-4 lead. 

His fighting spirit took the scores back to 9-6 but the Portuguese lived up to his name by producing a truly special performance. He progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time in his career after an 11-8 win and the tears that followed on stage were only softened by a hug from Cross. 

Daryl Gurney 4-11 Danny Noppert

Gurney had a shocking start to this match with eight treble-less visits in the opening as he went 4-1 down to the Dutchman. His average was below 90 as he handed leg after leg to his opponent and although he slightly improved to take it to 7-3 by the second break, the match was always edging away from him. For Noppert, it was simply a case of keeping his head under the Blackpool spotlights, but he did more than that as he nailed a ‘no-look 180’ on his way to an 11-4 win. 

*18+ | Be Gamble Aware

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.