World number one Luke Humphries booked his spot in the BoyleSports World Grand Prix quarter-finals with an excellent performance against Krzysztof Ratajski.
It was on that very stage two years ago that Cool Hand began his surge towards PDC major glory, and if that was the catalyst then, he now looks determined to see that piece of silverware once again take pride of place on his mantelpiece.
There were moments where the resilient Polish Eagle could have made life far more uncomfortable for his esteemed opponent – notably missing darts to level up at one set apiece. But when an outstretched Humphries pinned a crucial double one to move two sets clear, the task for Ratajski went from tough to treacherous.
To his credit, the Pole dug in and even halved the deficit, but on the night, the world’s top-ranked dog showed exactly why he has the loudest bark in the yard.
Cameron Menzies has been on quite the emotional rollercoaster in his personal life – his name unfairly splashed all over the tabloids as the usual suspects continued to throw dirt in his direction. Yet beneath the turbulence and the nonsense, the Scot proved once again that when it comes down to pure ability, he’s an incredibly talented darts player.
Facing Rob Cross is no easy feat – it’s often the tungsten equivalent of scaling Everest in flip-flops. But on this occasion, Voltage wasn’t firing at full power. Neither was Cammy, to be fair, but the stats reflected a fair contest and outcome. The pivotal moment came in the opening set when, against the throw in the deciding leg, Menzies nicked it.
The Scottish slinger then wrapped up the next set without concession, and despite the former World Champion closing the gap, a delighted and euphoric Menzies booked his place in Friday’s quarter-final – where he’ll meet another Ally Pally conqueror, Luke Humphries. No one said it would be easy, Cammy!
Mr Freeze Danny Noppert sent chills through the hearts of Stephen Bunting fans, eliminating the number four seed and keeping his name firmly in the hat. This contest hinged on two crucial moments – both times the Dutchman stole his opponent’s darts.
Set one went with throw, and with Danny kicking off the match, he took the lead. In the next, it looked like a mirror image until leg five, when the Dutchman pounced to double his advantage. The Bullet then rallied superbly to claw himself back into the match, but after doing so, failed to hold throw at the start of set four.
Despite his efforts, too many darts missed their mark, and Noppie marched on.The former UK Open winner will now face someone who’s won just about everything in darts – Gary Anderson – after the Scotsman romped home against an out-of-sorts Joe Cullen.
For anyone who’s ever picked up a dart, been brilliant one day, and couldn’t hit a barn door the next, Cullen’s plight is all too familiar.There’s no doubting the Bradford man’s immense talent, but in recent years, even he’d admit that his form has been wildly inconsistent.
From the sublime to the ridiculous could have been a phrase coined purely for The Rockstar’s performances on the oche.
Take nothing away from the highly decorated Flying Scotsman, though. He was efficient without being breath-taking – but crucially, he didn’t need to be. Anderson’s ace card on the night was his finishing – ruthless and clinical.
And facing an opponent struggling to score and having little joy on the outer ring, Gary could have afforded a few errant attempts and still got the job done.
Cullen is made of tough Yorkshire grit. You don’t recently win Players Championship titles in a field as stacked as the PDC Pro Tour without immense ability and character. Tonight wasn’t his night – but Anderson won’t care. He’s beaten the best when they’ve been at their best.
Next up, he faces Noppert in Friday’s quarter-finals.
Round Two – Results
Cameron Menzies 3-1 Rob Cross (3-2, 3-0, 2-3, 3-1)
Danny Noppert 3-1 Stephen Bunting (3-2, 3-2, 0-3, 3-1)
Luke Humphries 3-1 Krzysztof Ratajski (3-0, 3-2, 1-3, 3-1)
Gary Anderson 3-0 Joe Cullen (3-0, 3-0, 3-1)
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
