World Matchplay 2024 - The First Round
Only a few days and the first round of the tournament was already over - a very short while after all had started.
It was an interesting first round with good and often thrilling matches though all debutants were already out of the event after it and only four of the not seeded players managed to progress. I hadn't excpected that. Often the Pro Tour Order of Merit by which the non seeded players qualified as a one-year ranking shows more of the current form of the players than the Order of Merit which is a two-years ranking.
When you take that in account it was no upset Peter Wright didn't survive his first match - though he didn't lose because he played bad but he just couldn't hit his doubles. Which problems were the reason for Danny Noppert and Dave Chisnall to fare as they did I have no idea. But I got the feeling that Dave Chisnall felt a little bit harressed as he had to get finished his match before the final of the European Championship in which England was involved started. He looked nervous from the start and just was not himself.Damon Heta was the fourth seed to go out, he was almost steamrolled by the strong playing Ryan Searle though when one looked at the statistics the match was far less one-sided then it felt. Heta's form recently was somewhat staggering - so not a real upset.
More surprising was Joe Cullens strong first round performance, he had often been disappointing recently. Jonny Clayton played much better against Raymond van Barneveld as it had to be expected. Nathan Aspinall had a really hard time due to his arm injury and only got through thanks to his fighting spirit (and the support of the crowd as he stated himself). Hopefully surgery will be a success!!!
Some of the non seeded players didn't turn up as one had expected either. No idea why Martin Schindler - who really had looked in great form before the tournament - had no chance against Dimitri van den Bergh. Was it van den Berghs nine-darter which caught him on the wrong foot? Josh Rock scored quite well but couldn't hit his doubles while Ross Smith was absolutely clinical. Brendan Dolan never really got going and never ever was in the match.Gary Anderson once again was haunted by his doubles - I am sure Michael Smith it not his favourite opponent. I don't know why but when those two meet almost everytime Anderson is at the losing end. It always feels he himself doesn't believe he has a chance to win the match even before the match starts. Michael van Gerwen showed Luke Littler there is still a lot he has to learn. Though the sensational teenager showed a highclass performance he couldn't convince and the match was not the highlight everybody had expected. And the second favourite of the title sponsor was out after the first hurdle.
The most impressive match of the first round was without a doubt the match between Rob Cross and Gian van Veen. Cross won it in the end - probably debutant van Veen still lacks the experience or the sangfroid to get the matchdarts into the intended target. But it was an outstanding performance from both players - only Luke Humphries came close in this first round.