Jonny Clayton is hoping to cap off a remarkable revival by sealing his Play-Off qualification on Night 15 of the Cazoo Premier League in Sheffield.
The penultimate night of league phase action in the 2023 season will see 2021 champion Clayton and Nathan Aspinall continue to battle it out for a top four spot at the Utilita Arena on Thursday.
Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith have already sealed their qualification, which leaves Clayton and Aspinall vying for the fourth and final place at The O2 later this month.
The pair are locked on 22 points apiece ahead of their trip to the Steel City, with Clayton occupying fourth spot by virtue of nightly wins – having celebrated victory in Berlin and Birmingham.
The Welshman will take on Belgian number one Dimitri Van den Bergh in his quarter-final tie on Thursday, while 2020 runner-up Aspinall opens proceedings against league leader Price.
Clayton could clinch Play-Off qualification if he wins the night in Sheffield and Aspinall loses to Price in the last eight, but the former World Cup winner is refusing to look too far ahead.
“I made the final in Manchester last week and I played well on the European Tour at the weekend, so I’m feeling good,” said Clayton, who topped last year’s league phase.
“My confidence is up, my darts are going well, so if I play my game, I’ve got a good chance.
“I’ve got to do my own job first, but if Nathan loses to Gerwyn Price tomorrow night and I win my game against Dimitri, the ball is definitely in my court.
“Darts is a funny old game and we can all play world-class darts, so I am taking nothing for granted.”
Clayton was languishing in seventh position at the halfway point of this year’s roadshow, having registered just seven points from the opening eight weeks.
However, the 48-year-old responded with back-to-back victories on Nights Nine and Ten respectively, and a run to last Thursday’s Manchester decider saw him return to the top four places.
“I made a really slow start [this year], but those two nightly wins made a massive difference and put me back in contention,” reflected the 48-year-old.
“At one point I was keeping Peter Wright company down at the bottom of the table, but I’ve turned it around.
“I’m feeling confident. Hopefully it goes my way and I can do a job against Dimitri tomorrow night.
“We’re all still playing for £10,000 per night, so it’s going to be as difficult as it was in the first week.
“We’re all out to win. Obviously for us in the top five, the pressure is a little bit different, but I’m sure Dimitri is not going to give up lightly.”
The pair have met twice in this year’s competition, with Van den Bergh running out an emphatic 6-2 winner on Night One in Belfast, before Clayton avenged that defeat on Night Five in Exeter.
The Welshman harbours positive memories of playing Van den Bergh in the Premier League, after defeating the Belgian to secure a top four spot on debut back in 2021.
The six-time TV title winner went on to defeat Van Gerwen and Jose de Sousa to lift the title two years ago, and he’s hoping for an opportunity to repeat the feat in the capital later this month.
“I hope it’s a positive omen,” quipped Clayton, who is eyeing Play-Off qualification for the third consecutive campaign.
“If I remember rightly I beat Dimitri [to qualify] two years ago, so hopefully history will repeat itself.
“I’m just going to try and concentrate on my game, and I am sure Nathan will be doing the same.”
2023 Cazoo Premier League
Night 15 - Thursday May 11
Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Aspinall
Chris Dobey v Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith
Jonny Clayton v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Semi-Finals
Price/Aspinall v Dobey/Wright
Van Gerwen/Smith v Clayton/Van den Bergh
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs
