2019 Betfred World Matchplay – James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic taking place? Tuesday 23rd July, 2019
Where is James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic taking place? Winter Gardens, Blackpool
What channel is James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic on? Sky Sports Action
Where can I stream James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic? Check https://www.pdc.tv/betfred-world-matchplay-tickets for ticket information
THE STATISTICS
All-time meetings: James Wade 6-11 Mensur Suljovic
Last meeting: James Wade 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
THE PLAYERS
JAMES WADE
- In the first round, James Wade had to survive five missed match darts as he came from behind to defeat Jeffrey de Zwaan in a sudden-death 25th leg. Wade had trailed 9-6 against his young Dutch opponent before riding his luck to take the game into extra-legs.
- The Machine scored seven 180s and had a checkout percentage of 50% which included finishes of 116 and 100. He sealed the victory with a very coolly taken checkout of 80 in the sudden-death leg.
- Wade is aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015. Prior to 2016 he had never failed to reach the last eight in each of his previous ten appearances in Blackpool.
MENSUR SULJOVIC
- 2018 Matchplay runner-up Mensur Suljovic coasted into round two with a very comfortable 10-1 victory against Jermaine Wattimena who finished the match with a lowly average of 82.
- The Austrian ace was rarely pushed against his out-of-sorts opponent who struggled with Suljovic’s pace of play. The Gentle was in control of the game throughout, finishing the match with an average of just under 97 and a checkout percentage of 50%.
- Suljovic has a very good record against Wade on the big TV stage and he notably did the double over him in the 2019 Premier League. He has also won six of their previous eight matches in TV tournaments.
THE PREDICTION
There were very contrasting first round wins for these two players with Wade coming through an epic sudden-death encounter against De Zwaan and Suljovic barely breaking a sweat in a comfortable stroll against Wattimena, who went out with a whimper. It is unlikely that playing for longer will have had an effect on Wade physically and he should benefit for having come through such a test.
The Machine has a poor record against Suljovic on TV with visible signs he has not been comfortable playing against the methodical approach of the Austrian, and although Wade has defeated Suljovic recently away from the TV in a short format, he may be ground down over this race to 21 legs and Suljovic is predicted to prevail in a close affair.
