Sam Hart gives his thoughts on the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Darts Championships
Sam Hart here for Betting Radio for the 2025 World Darts Championship quarterfinals. New Year's Day darts. One of my favourite days of the year, with all four quarter finals taking place across the day. I am going to give my brief thoughts on each of the four matches.
Afternoon Session
The opening game in the afternoon is Chris Dobey vs Gerwyn Price. On paper this looks like a cracking match, with both players saving their best form for the World Championships and looking like they could both go all the way to the final. I mentioned for Dobey’s last match that he would be in for a scare against the battling Kevin Doets, and that he was. He got through that match 4-3 with some quality play towards the back end of the match. He averaged 91, but his doubling percentage wasn’t great towards the start of the match, and he is going to need to step it up against a player in Price. Dobey did also have that match against Josh Rock where he went two sets down and had to come back, so just remember you can get a rocky ride with Chris Dobey. Gerwyn Price hasn’t been plain sailing either. He dispatched fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton in fairly comfortable fashion in his round of 16 match but had to get through one of the matches of the tournament against Joe Cullen in the round of 32. So this has the potential of being a real battle. Both players at the time of recording are 10/11 with Bet365, and it seems nobody can split them. I think Price is going to come through this, and I do think he is going to be back to his best in the New Year. He will be keen to secure that Premier League spot, which he probably already has, but Dobey may, just may need to win this to give himself a shot back in the Premier League. A cracking match, but one I see going in favour of Gerwyn Price.
The other afternoon's quarterfinal is between Michael Van Gerwen and Callan Rydz. Callan Rydz is now the lowest-ranked player left in the World Championships but is throwing the highest average of any player across the tournament. He had to shake off the Welsh shock of the tournament Robert Owen in his round of 16 tie and did so 4-3, averaging 97 and hitting 43% of his doubles. He is a big 180 hitter, and who knows with Callan, He could be on a huge upward curve, and this may not be a fluke for him getting to the quarter finals. What is there to say about his opponent, though? Mighty Mike hasn't had the best of years, and I am sure he wouldn’t be the last to admit that. A bit like Gerwyn Price, he is trying to find that top form once again, and he has done. He has played darts that at times are unplayable. When Van Gerwen gets fired up, he can really flow. The amount of times a player throws a 180 against him and then he throws one back is ridiculous. The tournament of shocks, though has not meant he has had to be seriously tested in terms of opponents yet, and even now he wouldn't have been expecting to play Rydz in this stage of the tournament. 101 average and close to 50% on his doubles in his last match against De Graaf, he just looks like he is the force of old. Bet365 has Van Gerwen at 4/9 and Rydz at 7/4. I think Van Gerwen will take this match and end the run of Rydz. The head-to-heads have it 3-2 in favour of mighty Mike. So it’s close, and I don’t expect a Van Gerwen rout, but I think he will set up a semifinal tie against the Iceman Gerwyn Price.
Evening Session
The evening session quarterfinals start with Peter Wright up against Stephen Bunting. This is possibly the best quarterfinal on paper, and the bookmakers are just edging toward Stephen Bunting to take this, currently 4/7 with Unibet. Bunting is the people's champion; he has a big social media following and is one of the nice guys of the sport. Sia’s hit song Titanium will be ringing round the Alexandra Palace, and even with Peter Wright on that stage, who is a legend of the Palace, I’d imagine the crowd will get right behind The Bullet Bunting in this one. He started the tournament quite shakily, Stephen Bunting, but seems to have just gotten more and more confident throughout the tournament. He was unplayable against Luke Woodhouse the other day, and you could tell by Woodhouse's reactions that he just couldn’t keep up with Bunting. Bunting averaged 97 and was fairly clinical on his doubles, hitting 41%. He didn’t just beat Luke Woodhouse 4-0 in sets; he demolished him in leg play, winning 12 of the 15 legs played. His opponent Peter Wright, though, is playing some of the darts of old, and he dumped out none other than world number one Luke Huphires in his last match. Humphries threw an average of 100, but Wright matched him and was insanely good on the doubles with a 70% checkout percentage. To beat the world number one 4-1 is no fluke, and he means business, does Snakebite. I am excited to see what this match has in store. My heart is desperate to see Bunting win this, but I feel this could go the way of the minor underdog in the bookies minds, with Peter Wright winning this at 11/8 with Ladbrokes.
The final quarterfinal is between Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall. The two players are under the same management and are best of mates. If you offered me a price on Luke Littler joining in with Nathan Aspinall during his walk-on to Mr. Brightside, I would take that now. Aspinall has certainly had the steadier route to the final, and again he will be looking to just ensure he has got his place in the Premier League next year as well as getting through to the semifinal of this tournament. He has only dropped a set, remember, but hasn't really had to step out of first gear. He has been averaging low to mid 90s, but Nathan knows he can step that up, and he is going to need to if he wants to beat his mate Luke Littler. Litter had a fair scare in his round of 16 match against Ryan Joyce, who pushed the young 17-year-old all the way, and surprisingly the crowd got on Joyce’s side towards the back end of the match, but Litter never panicked, and I can't get over the celebrating at the end from Litter. We don’t often hear a big roar from the young lad, but it was just an outpouring of emotion as that last dart went into the double 12 segment. I think he is way too short, despite me thinking he will win this, it does make the over and under sets market more appealing, as I do think Nathan will step it up again and will get some sets on the board against Luke. So Luke Littler to win, but have a look at some of those over and under set markets.
There we have it then; my predictions lead to a Price vs Van Gerwen and Wright vs Litter semifinal, which would be incredibly exciting. If there was ever going to be a nine-darter towards the back end of the tournament, it is likely to come on New Year's Day. So let's just wait and see.
I will be back to preview the semifinals, but until then, enjoy the sport and gamble responsibly.