2019 Betfred World Matchplay – Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant taking place? Tuesday 23rd July, 2019
Where is Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant taking place? Winter Gardens, Blackpool
What channel is Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant on? Sky Sports Action
Where can I stream Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant? Check https://www.pdc.tv/betfred-world-matchplay-tickets for ticket information
THE STATISTICS
All-time meetings: Michael van Gerwen 0-1 Glen Durrant
Last meeting: Glen Durrant 7-2 Michael van Gerwen
THE PLAYERS
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
- Michael van Gerwen squandered a number of attempts at doubles in his first-round encounter with Steve Beaton but came through with a 10-6 win against his veteran opponent who missed the opportunity to make things more difficult for the world number one.
- MVG scored well against ‘The Adonis’ but overall his finishing left a lot to be desired and he missed a total of 27 darts at a double in the process of seeing off the 1996 BDO world champion.
- He finished the match against Beaton with an average of 93 which was was his ninth consecutive match average of under 100 in all competitions.
GLEN DURRANT
- Three-time BDO world champion Glen Durrant enjoyed a winning World Matchplay debut on Sunday night with a comprehensive 10-4 victory against former finalist Adrian Lewis. After losing the opening leg, Durrant won eight of the next nine legs to establish the control which he never relinquished.
- It was a consistently impressive performance in both scoring and finishing from Duzza with a match average of 101.05 complimented by a checkout percentage of 52.6%. Although he only hit a solitary 180, he did register 16 further scores of 140 or more.
- Durrant won their only previous competitive meeting which was a 7-2 victory at Players Championship 15 in May where he defeated Van Gerwen in the semi-finals on his way to winning his second PDC title of the season.
THE PREDICTION
This is a real blockbuster of a second-round match featuring the reigning PDC world champion Michael van Gerwen versus the reigning BDO world champion Glen Durrant in a game not to be missed. There are certainly question marks over the form of Van Gerwen heading into this match with a number of sub-100 averages, which is very rare for him, and his performance in the opening round did certainly didn't suggest he is near the top of his game. Durrant was effectively efficient in his win against Adrian Lewis and he will certainly feel more settled for completing his first match at this prestigious tournament.
It is hard to write off Van Gerwen such is his talent and formidable record but he is certainly not unbeatable right now and Durrant has the necessary tools to take the game to the number one seed. The Englishman is likely to receive the bulk of the support and if MVG does not click into gear quickly, the Dutchman may feel added pressure. Duzza won their previous meeting back in May and although it was away from the TV stage, it will give him some extra belief and he is capable of earning a repeat win against MVG in what should be an enthralling encounter.
