2020 Betfred World Matchplay – Gary Anderson vs James Wade Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Gary Anderson vs James Wade taking place? Tuesday 21st July, 2020 (session starts at 18:00 (UK))
Where is Gary Anderson vs James Wade taking place? Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
What channel is Gary Anderson vs James Wade on? Sky Sports
Where can I stream Gary Anderson vs James Wade? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Gary Anderson vs James Wade? The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay will take place behind closed doors
What was the outcome in the last meeting? James Wade beat Gary Anderson 10-9
THE LOWDOWN
GARY ANDERSON
- The 2018 World Matchplay winner Gary Anderson moved through to round two with a 10-5 victory against Justin Pipe having won five legs in a row when the match resumed level at five legs each after the second break.
- Anderson was far from his best during the contest as he admitted to struggling with change of venue and conditions, with the tournament being held away from Blackpool and without fans for the first time ever.
- The Flying Scotsman was probably thankful that he was playing an opponent who has been struggling with an elbow injury and one feels he will have to play much better than that against Wade.
JAMES WADE
- 2007 Matchplay champion James Wade had to come through an epic first round tussle against Keegan Brown which needed extra-legs to separate the two players.
- The Machine had looked set for a more comfortable victory when he took the opening four legs of the match but his dogged opponent had other ideas and stormed right back into contention by winning five consecutive legs.
- The lead was then to change hands on more than one occasion before Wade held his nerve to win three legs on the bounce after trailing 10-9. In the end, his superior finishing was to be the difference with his checkout percentage being an impressive 57.1% compared to Brown’s 37%.
THE PREDICTION
Gary Anderson and James Wade both know how to get the job done in major tournaments but it could also be said that neither are as consistent as they would like to be these days so this could either be a close match or one of them might run away with it whilst the other struggles to find form. Wade showed signs in his opening round win that he adapted to the conditions better than Anderson did, but with a game under his belt it is possible that the Scotsman may well settle in a lot better on this occasion. It all makes for an intriguing contest and I personally think it will be a close one so my betting tip is for James Wade with a +2.5 handicap.