Simon Whitlock is ranked number five in the PDC Order of Merit and is a two time world finalist, but he has not lived up to his fearsome reputation this year and despite eventually getting through to the Championship League winners group on Thursday, has far too regularly been on the end of shock results that have seen him crash out of tournaments in the early rounds.
After his blistering run to the final of the World Championships in 2010, much was expected of him this year in the major tournaments, but he has failed to reach the semi-final stages in each of the five biggest events, if we throw the Premier League in with the four traditional majors.
His run to the quarter-finals of the MatchPlay was his best performance of the year, but that alongside third round exits at the World Championships and the UK Open and a second round defeat at the Grand Prix is hardly the form of someone commanding a position in the top six in the world.
In fact, his performances have been significantly bettered by the two men now directly below him in the rankings (Wes Newton and Mark Webster) and matched by the likes of Andy Smith (world number 18) and Mark Hylton (38).
The worrying thing for the Wizard is that, being a seeded player, he only ever faces lower ranked players in the opening rounds of tournaments and he is still failing to make the most of his privileged position. His four conquerors in the majors this year have been Vincent van der Voort, Co Stompe, Andy Hamilton and Hylton, all quality players no doubt, but opponents that Whitlock would be odds on favourite to beat.
The picture becomes an even uglier one when the Players Championships are painted in. The big Aussie has competed in 20 of the 22 Players Championships so far this year and is yet to reach a final.
Twice he has been beaten by Gary Anderson in semi-finals, but on the 18 other occasions he has gone out to lower ranked players, including defeats to Mareno Michels, Michael Barnard, Davyd Venken and amazingly three separate losses to Nigel “The Undertaker” Heydon.
The Wizard’s year has been disappointing, but not an unprofitable one, as from majors alone he has picked up £38,000 and pocketed another £30,000 for his mediocre performance in the Premier League.
In a quirk of the tournament he has also earned almost £20,000 from his performances in the Championship League after failing to qualify for five days of action, but getting to at least the semi-finals each time meant he was earning over £2,000 a day, a very nice little earner indeed for a non-televised tournament.
What is undoubted is that Whitlock is a sensational player on his day; if proof was needed he has hit two nine-darters in Players Championships this year and hit another just this week against Jamie Caven in Essex. Since his rise to the upper-echelons of the rankings he is more than capable of earning an excellent living from the game, but many would like to see him push on from this and really push for the major titles.
As far as results go the Wizard may want to write 2011 off, but what he should see it as is a learning curve and a building block for better performances next year. A good run in the Players Championships Finals in Doncaster in December, and some serious work over Christmas and I expect the Wizard to produce some magic again at the World Championships.
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