- 13th seed crashes out after superb Campbell comeback
- Great comeback from Canadian
- Favourite Van Gerwen progresses
James Wade has crashed out of the PDC World Darts Championship, losing to Matt Campbell. Favourite Michael Van Gerwen is through after a routine win over Keane Barry.
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Campbell comeback shocks Wade, routine win for Van Gerwen
In a surprising turn of events, England’s Wade, the 13th seed, faced an unexpected defeat in the second round against Campbell. Despite initially leading 2-1, Wade couldn’t maintain his advantage, and Campbell, ranked 59th in the world, staged a comeback to win 3-2.
Wade, who entered the tournament in good form with recent strong performances, couldn’t secure his spot in the next round. Meanwhile, second seed, Van Gerwen from the Netherlands, had a more straightforward victory. Van Gerwen, a four-time semi-finalist and seeking his fourth PDC world title, comfortably defeated Barry with a 3-0 score at Alexandra Palace in London.
Reflecting on his performance, Van Gerwen expressed satisfaction with his finishing but noted some disappointment with his scoring. Despite this, he acknowledged the pressure that comes with the first match of the World Championships and emphasised the importance of securing a win.
On the other hand, Campbell, who had never won a match at the event before this year, celebrated back-to-back victories. The 34-year-old Canadian, now heading to the third round, might face English 20th seed Andrew Gilding in the upcoming matches.
Campbell highlighted the significance of winning the first game, stating that it lifted the pressure off him and allowed him to play his game with confidence. The third round of the PDC World Darts Championship is scheduled to commence on December 27th.
Betting Implications
Campbell’s superb win was a massive surprise and the bookies are not expecting him to go much further. At the time of writing, Ladbrokes have him priced at 150/1.
Van Gerwen remains favourite, 3/1, ahead of Luke Humpries, 10/3, Gerwyn Price, 4/1, Michael Smith, 8/1, Gary Anderson, 10/1, and Rob Cross 14/1.
Punters need to monitor the form, especially that of the top players, in the early rounds to see if they can predict any upsets and to decide what to do about outright bets.
Check out our top list of darts betting sites before making your picks.
