Click here to follow Ben Hudd (@benonsport) on Twitter. Click here to view the full draw bracket from the Austrian Darts Open.
Paul Nicholson described Austria as the world’s most attractive country during his journey to the commentary booth. Following three long years with a truncated calendar, the European Tour has returned in full force and the Austrian Darts Open is an annual part of that.
Mensur Suljovic adores an Austrian homecoming and the script couldn’t have been written any better three years ago when he won the Austrian Darts Championship as a hometown hero, overcoming then world number one Michael van Gerwen in a deciding-leg thriller.
That was his most recent of three European Tour titles and the scenes were admirable in the Austrian capital. Suljovic is amongst six Austrians in Graz this weekend, with those including the dangerous Rowby-John Rodriguez and Zoran Lerchbacher.
Gerwyn Price has opted to withdraw and instead have another weekend at home, whereas three-time champion Michael van Gerwen, world number one Peter Wright and Thursday’s Premier League weekly winner James Wade are amongst those on the quest to wear the green jacket.
QUARTER ONE
Mensur Suljovic always performs well when receiving a rare opportunity to compete in front his home crowd, and you’d expect him to embark on a run if he hadn’t been placed into an overly tough section of the draw. Suljovic could have to face a resurgent Jeffrey de Zwaan, Jonny Clayton and Dimitri Van den Bergh to even reach the quarter-finals.
Premier League table-topper Clayton has rather fond memories of Austria, having landed his first and only European Tour accolade there four years ago. His scintillating form makes him one of the leading candidates for glory, with the Welshman somehow still awaiting his first title of the season.
Danny Noppert has reached three quarter-finals in his last four European Tour events and, should he defeat compatriot Jermaine Wattimena, the newly-crowned UK Open champion will prove a threat to Van den Bergh – who has made at least the quarter-finals twice already this year.
Joe Cullen’s form is currently questionable and that could open the door for either Jim Williams or Berry van Peer to pull off an upset victory. Welshman Williams has never won on the European Tour stage, while Van Peer impressed on debut two weeks ago.
Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski returns after withdrawing from Munich, and that break could benefit the former Gibraltar Darts Trophy champion. He’ll fancy his chances of seeing off 2019 runner-up Ian White or local qualifier Patrik Gosnak and even enjoying an overdue run in a ranking competition.
Prediction: Clayton beats Ratajski in the quarter-finals
QUARTER TWO
Luke Humphries will be returning to the continent on cloud nine after securing his maiden European Tour accolade almost two weeks ago. The former UK Open runner-up continues to tick off achievements, and it will be a debutant in either Danny Jansen or Radek Szaganski in his Austrian opener.
Dutch teenager Jansen pulled off a seismic shock after winning only his ninth ranking event last month. Him and Poland’s Szaganski are both dangerous players, although Humphries is expected to comfortably prevail and arrange a third round contest with the in-form and firing Damon Heta.
Nathan Aspinall expressed in a recent interview that he’s currently playing his best stuff ever, and it’s difficult to argue with that after witnessing him reach two ranking finals last month, recording astronomical averages along the way and brushing his injury worries aside in the process.
Aspinall has received regular treatment for his wrist problem in recent weeks, and the former UK Open champion could open his campaign in a repeat of the recent Players Championship 13 final against Canadian debutant Matt Campbell. Wesley Plaisier, though, will have something to say about that, having emerged as a surprise quarter-finalist two weeks ago.
‘The Asp’ has a more favourable draw deeper into the competition, with Jose de Sousa, a former champion on the European Tour, the other seeded star in his section. Madars Razma dumped out the Portuguese sensation two weeks ago and the Latvian could repeat that feat, should he brush aside Austrian hopeful Michael Rasztovits.
Prediction: Aspinall beats Humphries in the quarter-finals
QUARTER THREE
It’s been a long time in waiting but, having been unsuccessful in qualifying for a couple of years, Thibault Tricole finally becomes the European Tour’s first Frenchman. The trailblazing Frenchman has already become the first from his country to compete on the PDC ProTour and reach the WDF World Championship final this year.
His unfortunate initial task will be dealing with a hostile home crowd against Austrian Zoran Lerchbacher, before potentially meeting Ryan Searle in the second round, with the ever-improving Searle one of names towards the top of many people’s lists when it comes to future winners on the European Tour.
Rowby-John Rodriguez has recorded four ton-plus averages since the start of last month and is beginning to settle into his second spell as a professional. The Austrian has the game to overcome both Darius Labanauskas and Dirk van Duijvenbode, and he could find himself in the latter stages with the crowd firmly behind him.
James Wade and Michael van Gerwen contested a thrilling affair during Thursday’s Premier League evening in Dublin, with Wade later averaging 114.73 in his semi-final win and eventually sealing the weekly honours. Him and Van Gerwen could renew rivalries in the third round.
Van Gerwen has the tougher opener against either Steve Beaton or Cameron Menzies, both capable of reaching the heights necessary on their given day. The three-time champion will be out with a vengeance and eyeing revenge after Thursday’s happenings.
Prediction: Van Gerwen beats Rodriguez in the quarter-finals
QUARTER FOUR
South African Devon Petersen against emerging youngster Josh Rock with whoever prevails meeting former world champion Rob Cross is one of the matchups of the second round. Cross continues to tease a title on the European Tour, while Petersen competes as an non-seed for the first time in two years and Rock makes his anticipated debut.
Rock was unearthed via PDC Qualifying School in January and has already reached two ranking quarter-finals. Despite him being only 20 years old and still developing as a young player, what to expect from him is already known – an average slightly lower or slightly higher than 95 and a solid performance.
Whoever comes through that section faces either Brendan Dolan, Gabriel Clemens or Tony Martinez, none of who are showing particularly promising form of late, with reigning world champion Peter Wright also in this quarter of the draw.
Wright could encounter Callan Rydz in a repeat of their thrilling contest at last year’s Gibraltar Darts Trophy that saw Rydz average almost 110 in beating the world number one. Rydz will have to sweep aside Dietmar Burger beforehand, with the local qualifier having competed at the inaugural Austrian Open ten years ago and still awaiting his maiden victory.
Eastern European qualifier Karel Sedlacek will be vying to boost his chances of a European Championship debut without professional status, having already reached a quarter-final this season. Him or Stephen Bunting have a strong chance of making the final day, with the seeded Ross Smith considerably out of form.
Prediction: Wright beats Rock in the quarter-finals
Overall: Clayton beats Van Gerwen in the final
