THE FACTS
When is Steve West vs Ryan Searle taking place? Saturday 21st December, 2019 – afternoon
Where is Steve West vs Ryan Searle taking place? Alexandra Palace, London
What channel is Steve West vs Ryan Searle on? Sky Sports Darts
Where can I stream Steve West vs Ryan Searle? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Steve West vs Ryan Searle? https://www.pdc.tv/william-hill-world-darts-championship-tickets
What was the outcome in the last meeting? Steve West beat Ryan Searle 10-4
THE PLAYERS
STEVE WEST
- Steve West is appearing at a World Championship tournament for the ninth time with a run to the last 16 at the 2017-18 PDC World Championship being his best performance. Prior to his switch to the PDC, he never won a match at Lakeside in five attempts.
- West has not featured much in the big PDC TV tournaments in 2019 having only qualified for the UK Open and Players Championship Finals this season.
- He managed to reach the semi-finals in three ProTour events during 2019 but those three tournaments are a rarity in a season where he has failed to make the last 32 on many occasions.
RYAN SEARLE
- Ryan Searle came through a very tight tussle against Australia's Robbie King in round one, having had to survive a missed match dart in a sudden-death leg.
- Searle managed to land a 170 outshot against King but overall his finishing was very wayward as he ended the match with a checkout percentage of just 26%.
- He defeated the number seven seed Mensur Suljovic at this stage of the 2018-19 World Championship on his way to reaching the last 16 on his tournament debut.
THE PREDICTION
Steve West has not been in the best of form in 2019 despite reaching three semi-finals, and he will be under some pressure as he defends money from his run to the last 16 here two years ago. Ryan Searle has also not been in good form and he will have to improve somewhat on his performance against Robbie King in round one. It could well be a game with some high scoring mixed with some nervy finishing and it is West who is tipped to go through.