Merseyside darts player Michael Smith fell just one hurdle short of a maiden world championship earlier this year. He was beaten 5-7 by Peter Wright in the final at the Alexandra Palace in London.
It was the second time Bully Boy had finished runner-up in the most prestigious tournament in the sport. In 2019, he went down 3-7 to Michael van Gerwen in the final.
Despite the disappointment, Smith has been very optimistic about the year ahead in the sport. He has now reached six major finals with the PDC, but has yet to lift a trophy. Given the form he is in, he will be confident of putting that record straight this season.
Smith is 14/1 in the darts betting to go one place better at the PDC World Darts Championship in 2023. There will be lots of opportunities for major glory before then. The man from St Helens features in the Masters, Premier League and UK Open in the opening quarter of the campaign.
Bully Boy should be a popular selection in the darts predictions for a number of tournaments in 2022. He averaged over 100 three times at the PDC World Darts Championship and has impressive wins over the defending champion Gerwyn Price, James Wade and Jonny Clayton.
Smith up to Fifth in World Rankings
His run at the Alexandra Palace has helped Smith rise up to number five in the world rankings. 2021 was a disappointing year for the 31-year-old, as he failed to reach a televised final for the first time since 2017.
Smith has been as high as number three in the world rankings, a position he held in 2019. He will have aspirations of becoming a world number one in the near future, and that’s a goal which is very reachable.
Price, Wright, van Gerwen and Wade are all above Smith in the latest standings, but those are all players the Merseyside man has had success over. He now needs to win trophies, which will make a big difference to his prize money on the PDC’s Order of Merit.
Bully Boy Hoping to Be Premier League Field
The PDC have yet to announce the line-up for the Premier League this season but Smith can expect to be involved given his world ranking. Only the top four players in the latest standings will receive an automatic spot, with four other players then invited to take part.
There has been a big change to the format of the annual competition this year which makes each night more exciting. Rather than playing just one game during each stage, there will be a knockout competition, with players starting in the quarter finals until there is one winner. Points are then awarded for the winner, runner-up, semi-finalists and quarter-finalists.
The top four players in the final standings will feature in the play-offs in Newcastle on May 26 where the title will be on the line.
If Smith can build upon what he did in the PDC World Darts Championship, he could be set for the best season of his career yet.
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