Austria triumph at the Ally Pally?
Can Austria convince again at the World Championship? In the team competition, the duo Mensur Suljovic and Rowby John Rodriguez sensationally made it to the final, where they then lost to Scotland. Now three players from the Federal Republic will compete in the singles. While Suljovic, after a walk-through in round 1, will not play until the day before Christmas Eve, the Rodriguez brothers will already be in action on Saturday and Monday respectively.
Rowby John opens against Welshman Nick Kenny, who surprisingly made it to the big highlight of the year. In the first match, the man from Cwmbran, who has just turned 28, is being priced by the best bookmakers as an underdog against Little John.
The player from Tyrol, who is only four months younger, will be looking to live up to his role as favourite. Between Rowby John Rodriguez and Nick Kenny, a bet on the odds on the world number 79 is worth considering. The match will be the third match in the Evening Session on Saturday and will start at around 22:00.
Rowby John Rodriguez – Statistics & current form
Little John had to surrender his Tour Card at the end of 2020 and a very sad 2021 loomed. However, the 27-year-old then reached the last 64 at the UK Open and in July he claimed his second Challenge Tour event triumph. The big highlight afterwards was the World Cup of Darts where he sensationally reached the final together with Mensur Suljovic. Rodriguez took this self-confidence with him to the dress rehearsal for the World Championship at the Players Championship Finals.
Can Little John confirm the performance from the Grand Slam?
The Austrian made it through the group stage with some sensational performances. Both in the defeat against Ryan Joyce and in the 5:1 win against Stephen Bunting he played an average in the three-digit range and the 104.82 was his best score in front of the cameras so far.
Even though the world number 79 couldn’t build on that performance in the last 16 against James Wade (2:10), Little John proved that on a good day he can be a threat to any opponent. With his new-found confidence, he now wants to make it to the second round in London.
Successful start for Austria at the Ally Pally?
Rodriguez holds all the aces himself and if he can maintain the form he has shown in recent tournaments, there could be a positive start for the Austrian darts nation on Saturday. In the match Rowby John Rodriguez vs. Nick Kenny a forecast is largely dependent on the performance of the Tyrolean. Should he keep his nerves in check, he can look forward to a second round match against Luke Humphries.
Nick Kenny – Statistics & current form
Nick Kenny has been on the BDO circuit from a young age, reaching two Major semi-finals. After the bankruptcy of the federation at the beginning of the Corona Pandemic he changed to the PDC and managed to get a Tour Card there as well. At the World Championship he will play for the second time in a row. Last year the Welshman had a close 3:2 win over Derk Telnekes in the opening match
Can Kenny salvage a weak 2021?
Followed by a shutout against Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena. After a disappointing year in 2021, the 28-year-old is now making another attempt. This year, good results leave much to be desired. And so it came as almost a bit of a surprise that he was able to hold his own at a PDPA qualifier and book his ticket to Alexandra Palace.
It remains to be seen whether Kenny could use the preparation time to get into better shape and possibly cause a surprise on Saturday. Based purely on the performances of the past weeks and months, the man from the British Isle is rightly in the underdog role.
Formancy in time for the World Cup?
Although form on the day will obviously be a deciding factor, recent results between Rowby John Rodriguez and Nick Kenny suggest a tip on the Austrian.
Rowby John Rodriguez – Nick Kenny Direct comparison / H2H balance
The direct comparison is a very clear sign in favour of playing the odds on the side of the Austrian between Rowby John Rodriguez and Nick Kenny. Little John has been able to prevail very clearly in all three direct comparisons so far. In the first duel in 2020, the Welshman got a white wash. The two encounters this year both ended with 6:2.
The most recent encounter took place in Barnsley at the end of October. With a leg difference of 4-18 from Kenny’s point of view, a win for the 28-year-old would come as a surprise.
Rowby John Rodriguez – Nick Kenny Tip
A fairly even starting position in the odds comparison of the betting base is justified at the first moment. The players are ranked 77 and 79 respectively in the world rankings and should therefore be of a similar level. However, the trend of the last few weeks clearly indicates that the Austrian will have the edge.
The younger Rodriguez brother has built confidence with strong performances at the World Cup of Darts and the Grand Slam, and has clearly defeated his upcoming opponent twice this year.
Mostly because of the very clear H2H, a prediction can only be made on the odds of Little John in the pairing of Rowby John Rodriguez vs. Nick Kenny. Possible handicaps or other risky bets should be avoided in this match, as a very close and exciting match is to be expected. A narrow victory for the Tyrolean seems most likely on Saturday. A stake of six units is placed on it.
