"I've struggled in the past but I feel at home up there now" - Chris Dobey makes impressive start to World Matchplay campaign with Edhouse win

Chris Dobey qualified for the second round of the 2024 World Matchplay on Monday night. 'Hollywood,' who managed to reach the quarterfinals at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool twelve months ago, defeated Ritchie Edhouse 10-7 in his opening round match.

"I knew it was going to be tough, and I really had to battle up there," reflected a very relieved Dobey post-match. "Ritchie is one of those players who never gives up. He never missed a double early on, but I knew over this format it was unlikely to last, so I just tried to dig in."

"It's just nice to get that win under my belt, regardless of who it is," says Dobey, who before 2023 had never managed to taste victory on the iconic Winter Gardens stage before. "I've struggled in the past, but last year changed things. I got a couple of wins up there and I feel at home up there now. I had a lot of support there too, so I didn't want to let them down. I think that's a bit more pressure on my shoulders as well, but to get the win in front of a lot of friends out there, it meant a lot."

Dobey will take on Michael Smith in the next round, who was too strong for Gary Anderson in the first round 10-5. The pair also faced off the most recent World Darts Championship in December. On that occasion, Dobey got the better of BullyBoy, ending his reign as world champion in the process.

"I'll go into exactly the same frame of mind. Obviously, we're really good friends and we'll probably even practice with each other on the night that we play, so it's kind of like I don't feel any different playing him or playing whoever. But yeah, I'm looking forward to hopefully another good game," Dobey previews of his second round showdown.