Will Clemens fail again to defeat Ratajski?
Barely one month after the Darts World Championship 2022 it’s that time again: With the Masters 2022 in Milton Keynes the first big tournament of the PDC is coming up. Among others with Gabriel Clemens a German dart player is represented who already has the first difficult hurdle in front of him. After all “Gaga” Clemens will meet his fear opponent Krzysztof Ratajski.
So far, Gabriel Clemens has never won against the twelfth-ranked player from Poland. In eight matches so far, he has suffered eight defeats. If the next defeat follows for “Gaga”, odds of up to 1.67 are currently being paid for Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Gabriel Clemens for tip 1.
Both players were eliminated early at the recent World Cup and were allowed little World Cup air. Clemens made it to the last 32, but failed miserably against an outstanding Jonny Clayton, who played with an average of 102,56. Ratajski, on the other hand, was eliminated from the tournament after a surprising 1-3 loss to Steve Lennon.
The Polish eagle wants to find his way back to success at the Masters 2022. Last year, Ratajski had to pack his bags in the first round of the Masters 2021 at the start of the year. On the other hand, there were strong performances in Major tournaments such as the UK Open, the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix.
Krzysztof Ratajski – Statistics & current form
Krzysztof Ratajski will hardly be able to complain about last year. After all the 45 year old veteran caused a sensation with his fourth Tour Card in a row – especially at the PDC Majors. Best result was the semi-final of the World Matchplay 2021 where the Polish eagle lost in the semi-finals to Dimitri Van den Bergh.
Before that, Ratajski had eliminated top-class players like Brendan Dolan, Luke Humphries and Callan Rydz during the tournament. The world number twelve also fought his way into the semi-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals, as well as quarter-final appearances in the UK Open and the World Grand Prix.
So it was more than surprising that Ratajski didn’t convince at the Grand Slam 2021 nor at the World Championship 2022. In both tournaments, the eagle from Poland failed miserably and thus squandered the momentum from winning the tournament at the Players Championship 30.
Will Ratajski beat Clemens again?
Nevertheless, Krzysztof Ratajski approaches the first hurdle at the 2022 Masters with confidence. After all, the Polish eagle has never lost a match against his upcoming opponent. Ratajski has won eight times in eight attempts, including the most recent encounter at the World Series Finals, where the 45-year-old claimed a 6-3 victory.
The result was surprising considering the statistics of the two players. Ratajski had not only the worse average, but also only six of 22 opportunities on the doubles. Clemens, on the other hand, had the better average and checked out three of four attempts at the doubles.
But because “Gaga” didn’t keep his nerves in the decisive moments, Ratajski successfully won against the German player. Since then, almost three months have passed and Clemens has clearly gained experience. It is therefore by no means unreasonable to bet on the German this time in the Ratajski vs Clemens match.
Last matches of Krzysztof Ratajski:
World Darts Championship
12/17 2021 – Krzysztof Ratajski 1 – 3 Steve Lennon
Players Championship Finals
11/27 2021 – William O’Connor 6 – 4 Krzysztof Ratajski
11/26 2021 – Krzysztof Ratajski 6 – 1 Ron Meulenkamp
Grand Slam of Darts Group A
11/15 2021 – Krzysztof Ratajski 4 – 5 Nathan Rafferty
11/14 2021 – Gerwyn Price 5 – 0 Krzysztof Ratajski
Gabriel Clemens – Statistics & current form
Gabriel Clemens goes into the new year with a broad chest. Though “Gaga” Clemens didn’t win a single tournament on the PDC Tour over the year, the native of Saarland caused a sensation in the Majors. Among others he managed the big surprise at the Grand Slam 2021 against Peter Wright, the newly crowned World Champion 2022.
As Clemens was eliminated only one round later by Fallon Sherrock all euphoria after the coup against the – at that time – world number two of the PDC vanished. Afterwards Gabriel Clemens lost two tough matches in the Players Championship Finals 2021 and the World Championship 2022.
Clemens is still difficult to assess on this year’s tour. The man from Saarland has the potential to stand up to the elite of the PDC but for that “Gaga” has to play much more constant. Friday’s match against Krzysztof Ratajski can be described as a test of maturity.
First Masters appearance for Clemens
Gabriel Clemens will be taking part in the Masters for the first time this week. So far, the native of Saarland had never qualified for the prestigious tournament in Milton Keynes. Therefore, it is all the more important to win the Friday match against the fearful opponent from Poland and thus set the course for the showdown with runner-up Michael Smith.
Clemens’ average in the tournament opener against Ratajski will be decisive. In his last two matches – both at the 2022 World Championships, mind you – “Gaga” Clemens averaged less than 90 points per throw. On the other hand, the player from the Saarland at least convinced with his double quota, which was above the 30% mark on average.
If the German Masters debutant can overcome the hurdle on Friday evening, odds of 2.30 are paid out for a tip on the Saarlander in Ratajski vs.
Last matches of Gabriel Clemens:
World Darts Championship
12/27 2021 – Jonny Clayton 4 – 0 Gabriel Clemens
12/23 2021 – Gabriel Clemens 3 – 0 Lewy Williams
Players Championship Finals
11/27 2021 – Damon Heta 6 – 2 Gabriel Clemens
11/26 2021 – Gabriel Clemens 6 – 5 Steve Beaton
Grand Slam of Darts Group E
11/16 2021 – Gabriel Clemens 3 – 5 Fallon Sherrock
Krzysztof Ratajski – Gabriel Clemens Direct Comparison / H2H Record
This is the ninth time the two players have met. So far, Ratajski leads the direct comparison against Clemens with eight wins on the account and thus has a spotless white waistcoat against “Gaga”. The last time Ratajski met Clemens, the Polish eagle won 6:3 in the best-of-11.
The year before, Ratajski had even won five times in a row against Clemens. In four of the five victories there was even a lead of at least two legs.
Krzysztof Ratajski – Gabriel Clemens Tip
Gabriel Clemens will take part in the Masters for the first time on Friday evening. For the tournament opener the man from Saarland has to play against fear opponent Krzstof Ratajski. In eight attempts, “Gaga” Clemens has never been able to win a match against Ratajski. This was also the case at the World Series Finals 2021 where Clemens lost 3:6 in nine legs against Ratajski.
Though Ratajski stumbled in his last matches and even failed miserably in the World Championship 2022 the betting companies see the Polish eagle – after all on the twelfth rank of the PDC Order of Merit – as favourite. Sometimes the assessment will be justified with the impressive year 2021.
Ratajski was among the eight best players in four of nine majors last year. It is quite possible that the form will be underpinned this year as well. We tend to think that it would be a good idea to bet on the Pole in the match between Ratajski and Clemens. In case of success, betting odds of up to 1.67 are paid out. We are betting six units.
