PDC darts stars’ bogey opposition ahead of 2017 PDC World Championship
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Darts head-to-heads
Ahead of the 2017 PDC World Championship, the sport’s premier event, Coral go through eight of the world’s top stars and who they usually hate to play.
We have picked each PDC star in alphabetical order and check out their records against opposition they’ve faced more than once.
All stats are accurate at the time of the last update (December 15th, 2016).
Gary Anderson
Being the world champion of the last two years, there are not be many arrowsmiths out there that have a winning record against Anderson.
However, for all the talent that The Flying Scotsman has shown over the years, he has arguably only reached his peak in the past couple, now in his mid-40s.
Just four players have 100 per cent records against Anderson, but thankfully for him two have retired (Mikel van Maastrigt and Richie Davies), one is playing in the BDO (Ross Montgomery) and the other has dramatically declined (Kirk Shepherd). All boast a 2-0 lead in meetings.
Of the current rivals on tour, all of Phil Taylor (38-14), Michael van Gerwen (22-13), Rowby-John Rodriguez (2-1), Ricky Evans (2-1), Paul Nicholson (8-7), Brendan Dolan (8-6) and Antonio Alcinas (2-1) have winning records against the Scot.
Terry Jenkins (13-13), Darren Webster (4-4), Dean Winstanley (3-3), fellow reining world champion Scott Waites (2-2), of the BDO, Mensur Suljovic, Joe Cullen, Kyle Anderson, Joe Murnan and Chris Dobey (all 1-1) are among those to be level in meetings with Anderson.
It must be noted, though, that his run against the majority has improved in the last few years.
First opponent record against
Mark Frost: N/A
Odds
Win tournament outright: 6/1
Win v first opponent Frost: 1/20
Raymond van Barneveld
The mercurial Barney only has a losing record against 14 players over the years, but half of those have been across six or more meetings.
Dutch compatriot Van Gerwen (26-16) and old foe Taylor (56-16) stick out as the two to have largely got the better of Van Barneveld, but he remains one of the very few who the duo fear greatly.
Belgian star Kim Huybrechts is perhaps the one surprise bogey player for Barney, having beaten him an incredible nine times from their 11 meetings.
Other names include Gary Anderson (17-14), Kyle Anderson (4-2), Joe Cullen (4-3), Justin Pipe, Dean Winstanley (both 3-2), Ian White (7-5) and BDO icon Martin Adams (3-1), who can all claim to have beaten the five-time world champion overall.
First opponent record against
Robbie Green: 1-1
Odds
Win tournament outright: 50/1
Win v first opponent Green: 2/7
Dave Chisnall
Another who hates to play Wolfie is three-time major runner-up Chizzy, who has never beaten him in five attempts, but it is fair to say the latter has thrived since switching to the PDC, thrilling us all with his many maximums.
Chisnall has also lost both encounters with another BDO star Scott Mitchell, the 2015 Lakeside world champion, while Scottish pair John Henderson and Gary Anderson are 5-3 and 12-4 ahead respectively in meetings.
Besides the main titans of the sport in Van Gerwen (34-9), Taylor (22-8) and Van Barneveld (10-5), Chizzy doesn’t slip up often against the rest of the pack and is now a force to be reckoned with.
The likes of James Wade (11-7), Jelle Klaasen (5-3), Benito van de Pas (4-2), Stuart Kellett, Joe Murnan (both 3-2), Stephen Bunting (7-5), Wes Newton (10-6) and Chris Dobey (2-1) still boast a slight edge over the man from St Helens, though.
First opponent record against
Rowby-John Rodriguez: 2-1 up
Odds
Win tournament outright: 25/1
Win v first opponent Rodriguez: 1/6
Michael van Gerwen
Being the almost immortal Green Machine that world number one Van Gerwen is, it is perhaps surprising that a few stars on tour still have good records against him, though mainly due to head-to-heads early in his career.
Although he’s won 12 of the last 18 against The Power, he’s still 31-23 down on him, having lost 16 of their first 18 clashes – from 2006-2012 – and the previous three.
Retired or veteran legends Peter Manley (6-2), Co Stompe (5-3), Dennis Priestley (5-5), Wayne Mardle (4-4) and Ted Hankey (2-2) didn’t have too much trouble against an up-and-coming Mighty Mike.
But in total opposite to biblical character Samson, when Van Gerwen lost his hair he started to become the force he is today, and the above names would most likely have not stood a chance even in their prime.
A notable mention should go to former wonderkid Arron Monk, who has won five of his nine duels with the deadly Dutchman. While, Andy Hamilton (19-21), Martin Adams (2-3) and Terry Jenkins (9-14) can also hold their heads up high. Dutch great Raymond van Barneveld (16-26) has also been somewhat of a bogey player for MvG in recent years.
Mark Hylton (4-1), Toon Greebe (2-0) and Darryl Fitton (3-1) are also surely a trio Van Gerwen would like to avenge if they ever meet again.
First opponent record against
Ross Snook or Kim Viljanen: Both N/A
Odds
Win tournament outright: 8/13 odds-on favourite
Adrian Lewis
Still only 31, Lewis will surely add plenty more to his four major televised titles in the next 20 or so years.
Jackpot has certainly done well to avoid being toppled by the rising stars of the game, besides Michael Smith (8-5) and Jamie Lewis (3-2), though hasn’t enjoyed facing established stars Taylor (52-16), Van Gerwen (30-13), Raymond van Barneveld (32-21), Wade (27-19) and Gary Anderson (26-19).
Perhaps the most surprising record against an opponent for Lewis is that he is 2-1 down against Sweden’s Magnus Caris, who he faces first in this 2017 Worlds, while he looks on course to overturn an 18-11 deficit against Mervyn King, who he’s now beaten on the last four occasions.
Tony O’Shea and Terry Temple (both 2-0) are the only ones to have 100 per cent records over two-time world champion Jackpot but, now in their 50s, look unlikely to face him again in an official competition.
Recent BDO convert Darin Young of America is also 3-2 up, while former PDC world champions John Part and Priestley will keep their respective narrow 8-6 and 11-9 records.
Current stars Klaasen (12-10), Chisnall (14-10), Pipe (9-9), Steve Beaton (6-6), Stephen Bunting (3-3), Max Hopp (2-2), Ricky Evans, Stuart Kellett (both 1-1), Painter (16-18), Andy Hamilton (13-15) and Simon Whitlock (11-13) have also provided tests for the man from Stoke.
First opponent record against
Magnus Caris: 1-2 down
Odds
Win tournament outright: 40/1
Win v first opponent Caris: 1/14
Michael Smith
Aged just 26 and still so early in his career, it is not surprising that Bully Boy has some catching up to do on a few players. Though, he is highly unlikely to ever overturn winless runs against Denis Ovens, Mark Dudbridge (both 4-0), Colin Fowler, Gary Welding, Co Stompe, Brian Woods and Dave Ladley (all 2-0).
More current trio Darren Webster, Alan Norris (both 6-0) and Klaasen (2-0) also all have 100 per cent records over Smith.
The St Helens native is behind on most of the others on this list too, including Van Gerwen (15-4), Taylor (11-3), Wright (9-3), Wade (6-2), Van Barneveld, Chisnall (both 6-5) and Gary Anderson (4-2).
Other standout names that boast winning records over Smith include Mark Webster (5-1), Henderson (4-1), Bunting (5-2), Mervyn King (6-3), Suljovic (6-4) and Wayne Mardle (2-1), while Robert Thornton (5-5), and Andrew Gilding (2-2) are level. Bully Boy also shares a win apiece in meetings with female Russian great Anastasia Dobromyslova.
First opponent record against
Ricky Evans: 6-0 up
Odds
Win tournament outright: 125/1
Win v first opponent Evans: 4/11
Phil Taylor
Being the greatest ever darts player, no one can claim to have a winning record over The Power in multiple meetings, but a limited club of seven names have beaten him in half of their head-to-heads.
Former foes Peter Evison (4-4), Jamie Bain, Russell Stewart, Scott Waites and Ted Hankey (all 1-1) are on that list, as well as rising stars Keegan Brown (2-2), Corey Cadby and Jeffrey de Zwaan (both 1-1), who will surely now be nervous in their next match-up with the legend.
Brown and De Zwaan did in fact go 2-0 and 1-0 up respectively against Taylor at one stage, but the man from Stoke soon levelled the scores to show who’s still boss.
Former oche hero Rod Harrington held a decent 6-9 record against The Power, while Van Gerwen could soon see his 23-31 deficit shorten even further.
Gilding and Dave Pallett (both 1-2) are others who can hold their heads up high against the 16-time world champion.
First opponent record against
John Bowles or David Platt: N/A and 2-0 up respectively
Odds
Win tournament outright: 9/1
Robert Thornton
The Thorn may be a three-time major winner, but he doesn’t have a winning record against any of his fellow stars on this list.
Lewis (21-4) is his most feared opponent going by the stats, while Taylor (22-6), Van Barneveld (11-3), Van Gerwen (18-5), Wright (10-5), Wade (14-7), Chisnall (14-10) and Gary Anderson (15-11) also enjoy facing the Scotsman.
Other current stars on tour who still have the upper hand on Thornton include Terry Jenkins (9-4), Alan Norris (2-1), Benito van de Pas (4-1), Kevin Painter (9-5), Mervyn King and Jamie Caven (both 9-8).
Only Gary Robson (3-0) and Shaun Greatbatch (2-0) have won all their clashes with The Thorn.
First opponent record against
Zoran Lerchbacher or Simon Stevenson: Both N/A
Odds
Win tournament outright: 200/1
James Wade
The Machine may be under the wing of Taylor’s former mentor Eric Bristow, but hates facing The Power most, having lost a whopping 50 of their 67 meetings, with five being draws.
Bunting (4-1) and Gary Anderson (28-15) also seem to have figured the eight-time major winner out, while Winstanley (4-3), Martin Adams, Scott Waites (both 2-1), Priestley (10-6), Tony O’Shea (6-3) and Suljovic (7-3) are just ahead.
Wade has been known to be a grinder of games, and has been locked into epic head-to-heads with the likes of Van Gerwen (24-14), Simon Whitlock (20-15) and Van Barneveld (23-21).
He is up in battles with former World Matchplay and Grand Prix champion Colin Lloyd, Andy Hamilton (both 15-16) and Mervyn King (17-20), though.
First opponent record against
Ronny Huybrechts: 2-2
Odds
Win tournament outright: 33/1
Win v first opponent Huybrechts: 1/6
Peter Wright
Wright has never really got the hang of facing Van Gerwen (42-8) and Taylor (18-8), who have both been responsible for preventing the Scot from claiming a maiden major, though he has recently got a few back on Wade to 9-14.
Adrian Lewis (17-9), Chisnall (11-7), Van Barneveld (8-5) and Gary Anderson (17-11) have all largely got the better of Snakebite over the years too.
Wright will need to start beating the likes of Winstanley (3-1), Robbie Green (2-1) and Jamie Caven (7-6) more often, though, if he is to finally win on the big stage.
Former stars Richie Burnett (5-2), Colin Lloyd (10-5), Peter Manley (2-1) and Ronnie Baxter (15-8) also got the better of Wright earlier in his career.
Snakebite should also see himself pushing out ahead of the likes of Bunting (6-6), Andy Hamilton (4-4), Vincent van der Voort (3-3), Christian Kist, Devon Petersen (both 2-2) and Kyle Anderson (1-1) in the years to come.
First opponent record against
Jerry Hendriks or Warren Parry: N/A and 2-0 up respectively
Odds
Win tournament outright: 10/1
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