Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith eliminated from World Matchplay Darts in night of shocks | Darts News

Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith have become the latest big names to fall at the World Matchplay Darts as Joe Cullen and Chris Dobey emerged victorious on a thrilling night in Blackpool.

Defending champion Michael van Gerwen was defeated in the first round by Brendan Dolan and Price and Smith both tumbled out of the tournament on a tense Tuesday night of Tungsten action.

In front of a vociferous crowd at the Winter Gardens, ‘Rockstar’ Cullen won 13-11 against Price in a topsy-turvy thriller, whereas Dobey topped off a fantastic evening of darts with an 11-7 demolition of the world champion.

Gerwyn Price was installed as tournament favourite after MVG’s elimination but fell behind early against Joe Cullen, who raced to a 4-1 lead after the first session, hitting a double on all four visits where he had the opportunity to do so.

World No 4 Price responded after the intermission, but Cullen ended the second session with a 6-4 cushion after the first of two very important 112 checkouts.

Importantly, Cullen hit the doubles when he needed to, achieving a 60 per cent checkout success rate, whereas Price struggled throughout the night in that regard, and that proved to be the undoing for ‘The Iceman’.

“The checkouts won me the game,” Cullen said. “Me and Gezzy, we sort of pulled each other down and then when one of us played well, the other one played well – and it was just a really funny game.

“I felt in the game the whole way, even at 10-8 down I felt like I could still win because I knew that Gezzy wasn’t playing like he normally does but it’s one of those – concentrate on your own game and that’s what I did and the finishes definitely won me the game.”

Price, though, wasn’t about to go down without a fight and Cullen missed multiple chances to finish in the 15th leg which left the door open for Price to get the match back on throw and from there, the tournament favourite put the foot down to roar in front 10-8, within one leg of victory.

The Welshman then had a chance to win the match at 10-9 but failed to hit the bullseye to eliminate his opponent and Cullen punished him ruthlessly.

‘Rockstar’ hit the bullseye to level the match and then found it once more to move ahead and completed a thrilling victory with a second pivotal checkout of 112.

Cullen said: “I felt like I played okay the other night and it just didn’t feel comfortable, more or less out the whole way through the match tonight, but then when it came down to it [at the end] that’s probably the most comfortable I’ve been so that 112 was pretty sweet.”

Smith crashes out | Dobey: It was hard work

Nobody can rest easy at Blackpool this week, as the big names keep falling out of the tournament and Michael Smith‘s defeat to Chris Dobey was a case in point.

Dobey admitted at the end though, that he never felt in control of the game, despite claiming an 11-7 victory against Smith.

Again, the difference came in the doubling – Dobey hit 11 out of 16 checkout attempts, a magnificent conversion rate, whereas Smith could only manage seven from 20 attempts.

A pivotal moment came when Dobey produced his biggest checkout of the night, 130, to get the match back on throw towards the end of the second session.

“It was hard work,” admitted Dobey. “I don’t know how I got to 5-5. I don’t think I was ever in the game early doors but I clawed my way back into it. And once I got in front I think I didn’t want to let him come back. So yeah, I’m delighted with that.

“There were a couple of big shots obviously on the bull. With the 130 as well but I thought my finishing was pretty spectacular compared to what I’m used to. I won so I’m going to take it.”

Daryl Gurney was massively impressive in his victory over 2018 winner Gary Anderson, reeling off five legs unanswered, hitting five out of five doubles as he smothered the popular Scot in the first session.

Anderson never recovered and Gurney’s march to the quarter-finals was as swift as it was impressive as he nailed 11 out of 16 checkout attempts in an 11-4 victory.

Gurney’s match-ending average of 104.43, although impressive, was perhaps lower than it may have been and belied just how well he played in a very convincing performance.

Former UK Open champions Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall were then involved in a nervy game where neither looked comfortable throughout.

After a period earlier in the match where both players struggled to hold onto their own throw, there then came a spell where neither could fashion a break point.

That was until the 16th leg when Noppert managed to fashion a couple and missed both opportunities but in the 18th leg, he made amends, hitting double 12 to level proceedings at 9-9.

‘The Asp’ responded with a 14-dart break of throw to give himself a chance to win the match and, after Noppert almost managed a superb finish of 115 to keep himself in the tournament, Aspinall hit tops to finish and left the stage a relieved man.

The second round continues at the Winter Gardens on Wednesday, as Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Brendan Dolan is back in action against Australian Damon Heta.

Two former champions are also in action as Dimitri Van den Bergh faces Jonny Clayton and Peter Wright takes on Ryan Searle, and Dirk van Duijvenbode faces Luke Humphries on what promises to be another intriguing night of action.

We are back for more World Matchplay action at the iconic Winter Gardens on Wednesday at 7pm as the world’s top stars battle it out for the Phil Taylor Trophy – live on Sky Sports Action.