PDC Championship: Forget Double Dutch, it’s 2011 all over again
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There has never been a final in the 22-year history of the PDC World Darts Championship without a British representative, and Ladbrokes are struggling to see how that’s going to change in 2016.
2007 winner Raymond van Barneveld’s re-emergence on this stage, coupled with countryman Jelle Klaasen’s run to the semi-finals, means the Dutch have as many men gunning for the title as the Brit’s in the last four, but it may pay to swerve the Oranje at Alexandra Palace.
‘Barney’ has seen off the two Michael’s Smith and Van Gerwen in the past two rounds, both times by the narrowest of margins, while his next opponent Adrian Lewis hardly broke sweat prior to a decisive 5-2 triumph over 2014 finalist Peter Wright.
Lewis, who won back-to-back titles in 2011-12, hadn’t dropped a set at the tournament prior to the defeat of Wright, and can boast of winning six of his eight matches against Van Barneveld in 2015. The Stoke flinger looks a decent bet at 1/2 to do so again.
On the other side of the draw Klaasen, who has already seen off Mervyn King and Phil Taylor so far, looks to have met his match and more in defending champion Gary Anderson.
James Wade would have had high hopes of a fourth PDC World Championship semi-final going into his quarter against ‘The Flying Scotsman’, having only dropped one set in three matches up to the last eight, but Anderson soon put paid to such notions, winning 5-1 in double-quick time.
Klaasen has lost his past six encounters with the 45-year-old, the last one by 10 legs to 6 just two months ago. Anderson looks safe at 1/4.
Put the pair together for a double that pays out at over 5/6 if Lewis and Anderson make it a repeat of the 2011 final, which the former won 7-5.
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