Chris Dobey names best finisher on PDC circuit: "I want to dodge him if I can!"

Chris Dobey is full of praise for his compatriot Ryan Joyce, calling him the best double-hitter on the PDC circuit. According to Dobey, Joyce is an exceptional talent when it comes to finishes, and with his scoring ability also getting better and better, he predicts a successful future for the Englishman.

Dobey, ranked No. 8 in the world, had an excellent season himself so far. He reached the semifinals of the World Darts Championship and won the third Players Championship tournament. At the recent UK Open, he defeated his Premier League rival Stephen Bunting, but eventually had to acknowledge his superiority to Dimitri Van den Bergh in the fifth round 10-9.

Despite his own performance, Dobey had mostly laudatory words for his regional counterpart Joyce in the podcast Tops and Tales. "He just goes about his business like there’s nobody there in front of him. Yeah, I’ve said it for years now. I think he’s the best double hitter in the world.  

“And it actually has shown on stats now as well. So, it’s actually backed me up as to what I’ve been saying for the last few years.”

Ryan Joyce experienced a rock-solid 2023, capturing his second ProTour title and reaching the semifinals of the Players Championship Finals. He also showed his class last year by reaching the semifinals of the World Grand Prix - a tournament where players must both start and finish with a double.

According to Dobey, that format fits Joyce perfectly. In addition to his qualities as a darter, Dobey also praises Joyce's humility. 

“The Grand Prix, that’s all bread and butter from the North East. It’s what we play on regular basis. And for Ryan [Joyce], that’s his competition. He’s just a down to earth lad as well. He’s not wanting to big himself up.  

“He knows how good he is, but he doesn’t like the short as well, which I think is a good thing.”

Still, Dobey sees his colleague getting stronger and stronger. “You’re definitely going to start seeing the best of Ryan as well, because he’s finally getting to that scoring power that he’s been missing.  

“He’s always been great on the finishing side, but his scoring power is coming through now.

“I want to dodge him if I can!”