Grand Slam of Darts: Friday November 18
- Evening Session (1900 GMT)
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports
- Format: Quarter-finals, best of 31 legs
- In the below stats (courtesy of and his ), the averages and 180 per leg data is for all PDC events in 2022, while checkout percentage is for stage events only.
Michael Smith (4/7) v Joe Cullen (5/4)
- Head to Head (TV): 12-8 (4-2)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 2-1 (2-1)
- Group Stage position: Winner C - Runner-up C
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 96.66 - 94.33
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.35 – 0.29
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 39.28% - 38.2%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 10.52% - 13.79%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 31.74% - 27.52%
Michael Smith and Joe Cullen will need to put friendship aside on Friday night when they meet for the second time in this year's Grand Slam of Darts.
Bully Boy crushed the Rockstar 5-1 in what was quite a disappointing group-stage battle that featured just a solitary 180 from the winner and it's fair to say neither player has produced their best darts so far.
Smith is one of the most prolific maximum hitters in the sport but having thrown just two in the group stages, he looked a little more like his usual self during a hard-fought 10-8 triumph over Rob Cross, firing in five of them and averaging 96.
As he mentioned in his post-match interview, what he's strangely lacking in scoring prowess at the moment, he's making up with his doubling, having converted 50% of his attempts in each of his last three matches.
If he's going to break his major duck this week then he needs to bring both areas of his game together - just like he has on many occasions in a year that has brought him five titles and seen him reach three major finals.
Cullen hasn't been a maximum machine this week either, hitting just four of them in the group stage and just two in a 10-4 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode that owed much to the contrast in both players respective finishing.
All that said, you'd expect a best-of-31 leg battle will give them more than enough time to find their usual range and put on a spectacular crowd-pleasing show that brings the best out of each other.
Smith was my headline tip at the start of the tournament so I'll obviously be hoping he can produce a performance that vindicates selection but as far as tonight is concerned I'm expecting a lengthy contest with plenty of maximums and high outs.
Verdict: 16-13
Raymond van Barneveld (11/4) v Gerwyn Price (1/4)
- Head to Head (TV): 6-2, 1 draw (2-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 2-0 (1-0)
- Group Stage position: Winner A - Runner-up A
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 93.3 - 97.24
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.19 – 0.28
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 43.28% - 40.6%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 10.83% - 15.48%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 12.77% - 25.68%
Raymond van Barneveld's dream run was the story of this year's Grand Slam of Darts until Josh Rock's nine-dart heroics last night - but the Dutch legend has another chance to raise the roof in this rematch with Gerwyn Price.
The 55-year-old rolled back the years to pull off what he branded "one of the best wins of my career" against the world number one in the group stages, with both players averaging in excess of 100.
And after topping the group - which also included Dave Chisnall - with maximum points, van Barneveld proved he can still produce high-quality darts over a longer format in second round as he averaged 97 and threw eight 180s in a thrilling 10-8 victory over Simon Whitlock, who managed 101 himself.
Grand Slam of Darts: Group stage standings and results
- Scoring System: Each competitor played each other once in a best-of-nine legs match, with two points going to the winner. The top two from each group progressed to the knockout stages.
Group A
- Dave Chisnall 3-5 Raymond van Barneveld
- Gerwyn Price 5-1 Ted Evetts
- Dave Chisnall 5-2 Ted Evetts
- Gerwyn Price 4-5 Raymond van Barneveld
- Raymond van Barneveld 5-0 Ted Evetts
- Gerwyn Price 5-4 Dave Chisnall
Group B
- Simon Whitlock 5-2 Mensur Suljovic
- Danny Noppert 5-4 Christian Perez
- Mensur Suljovic 5-2 Christian Perez
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Simon Whitlock
- Simon Whitlock 5-3 Christian Perez
- Danny Noppert 5-4 Mensur Suljovic
Group C
- Joe Cullen 5-1 Ritchie Edhouse
- Michael Smith 5-3 Lisa Ashton
- Ritchie Edhouse 5-2 Lisa Ashton
- Michael Smith 5-1 Joe Cullen
- Joe Cullen 5-3 Lisa Ashton
- Michael Smith 5-1 Ritchie Edhouse
Group D
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-4 Martin Schindler
- Rob Cross 5-2 Adam Gawlas
- Martin Schindler 5-3 Adam Gawlas
- Rob Cross 3-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-3 Adam Gawlas
- Rob Cross 5-4 Martin Schindler
Group E
- Nathan Aspinall 4-5 Alan Soutar
- Peter Wright 5-1 Fallon Sherrock
- Nathan Aspinall 5-1 Fallon Sherrock
- Peter Wright 5-4 Alan Soutar
- Alan Soutar 5-2 Fallon Sherrock
- Peter Wright 2-5 Nathan Aspinall
Group F
- Damon Heta 2-5 Jermaine Wattimena
- Jonny Clayton 5-0 Leonard Gates
- Damon Heta 5-4 Leonard Gates
- Jonny Clayton 5-0 Jermaine Wattimena
- Jermaine Wattimena 5-1 Leonard Gates
- Jonny Clayton 2-5 Damon Heta
Group G
- Ross Smith 4-5 Luke Woodhouse
- Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Nathan Rafferty
- Ross Smith 5-2 Nathan Rafferty
- Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Luke Woodhouse
- Luke Woodhouse 4-5 Nathan Rafferty
- Michael van Gerwen 4-5 Ross Smith
Group H
- Ryan Searle 5-4 Josh Rock
- Luke Humphries 5-2 Scott Williams
- Josh Rock 5-4 Scott Williams
- Luke Humphries 5-1 Ryan Searle
- Ryan Searle 3-5 Scott Williams
- Luke Humphries 3-5 Josh Rock
Grand Slam of Darts: Knockout results
Wednesday November 16 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Raymond van Barneveld 10-8 Simon Whitlock
- Michael Smith 10-8 Rob Cross
- Danny Noppert 8-10 Gerwyn Price
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-10 Joe Cullen
CLICK HERE FOR NIGHT FIVE REVIEW
Thursday November 17 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Nathan Aspinall 10-6 Jermaine Wattimena
- Jonny Clayton 8-10 Alan Soutar
- Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Josh Rock ROCK HITS A NINE-DARTER
- Luke Humphries 10-8 Ross Smith
CLICK HERE FOR NIGHT SIX REVIEW
Friday November 18
Evening Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)
Saturday November 19
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)
Sunday November 20
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Semi-finals (Best of 31 legs)
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Final (Best of 31 legs)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
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