World Matchplay 2024 - The Second Round
In the second round the format was a little bit longer - perhaps not good for all the matches. The first evening I still watched at home , on the second night I already was in Blackpool . It is always more thrilling when you can see a tournament live, though most of the time you'll pass in the press room. But the atmosphere is completely different and the enthusiasm of the crowd will get to you. So for me the second quarterfinals night was much more interesting.
On the first nigth of the second round Nathan Aspianlls attempt to defend his title failed - despite all his fighting spirit. James Wade played another consistent match against him and stayed unwavering while Aspinall's problems with his throwing arm continued and he only in the second half of the match really offered resistance. All in all he made too many mistakes.
More surpinsing was that Gerwyn Price lost to Ross Smith. But Smith was just this little bit better then Price - especially in the second half of the match. And then he as well startrd to get clinical on his doubles. So it was a deserved win for Ross Smith who at the moment is in really good from.
Luke Humphries won against Stephen Bunting but it was for along time a head-to-head race and no easy clean-sweep for the World Champion It took him some time to get into the match. In the end he once again convinced.
As well evenly matched though with an average not quite as high was the match between Dimitri van den Bergh and Jonny Clayton. But near the end Clayton somehow slackened and his double-trouble was his undoing. Somehow it was not a fascinating match though perhaps it was only that my thoughts I already were in Blackppol.
The second night started with the match between Krzysztof Ratajski and Andrew Gilding - two of the unseeded players still in the tournament. Ratajski's performance was strangely indifferent and not really focused. Gilding was the complete opposite - he really wanted to win and succeeded. He improved impressively compared to his first match.
After that Rob Cross played his second match - against the in his first match so strong playing Ryan Searle. It again was an outstanding match from Cross and one could see he is enjoing himself. It showed in his 106.99 average. Searle on the other side got more and more frustrated as he couldn`t touch him. He was not able to build on his first round performance.
The last two second round matches were quite similar. In both matches one of the players had a clear advantage in the first part of the match and his opponent started the comeback too late to turn it around in his favour.
First Michael van Gerwen and Joe Cullen came on stage. Michael van Gerwen played a for him comparitively weak match and looked quite beatable but it took too long before Cullen realised it. Probably he thought he wouldn't have a chance against the Dutchman anyway. Had Cullen played as he did in his first match on this day he could have beaten van Gerwen, so he was eliminated first round.
The last second round match was a little bit in the shades of the close friendship between Michael Smith and Chris Dobey which Smith managed to put behind earlier then Dobey. It was a quite brisk match and Smith dominated the first part. Only before the second break Dobey started to look more comfortable and the match got more evenly matched and closer. But Dobey never managed the necessary rebreak and Smith won with 11:9.
In the second round it was again Rob Cross who impressed most. Humphries at the moment makes it difficult for himself and plays a little bit tense. Van Gerwen so far failed to convince with his performances. Wade and Gilding as non seeded players survived the second round as well and are probably the surprise players of the tournament. Michael Smith is so far under the radar which might be dangerous. Ross Smith and Dimitri van den Bergh until now both played a good tournament.