Rowby-John Rodriguez faced Raymond van Barneveld in his first-ever appearance at the PDC World Championship in 2015 and was paired with Dave Chisnall in the first round in the next two years. After failing to qualify in 2018, he finally got through to the second round last year against Ricky Evans but will not find it easy to see off veteran Noel Malicdem in the opening exchanges this year.
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Noel Malicdem Current Best Odds
Rowby-John Rodriguez Evens
Noel Malicdem Evens
(Odds correct at 1.30pm December 15)
Gentle Giant to oust Austrian opponent
Seventh seed Peter Wright awaits the winner of this first-round clash at Alexandra Palace in the third quarter of the PDC Darts World Championship 2020. Austrian Rodriguez lost out to Spain’s Cristo Reyes in a deciding set in the second round last year. Reyes is no mug having outscored MVG’s average when losing to the world number one is 2017.
Malicdem only made his debut at the PDc World Championships last year but did edge out the Netherlands’ Jeffrey de Graaf in a tight first-round encounter before finding Australian Kyle Anderson too strong.
The Gentle Giant, from the Phillipines, is already in his 40s so will likely remain a journeyman. But he’s won twice on the Asian Tour and boast a decent average. This is a big occasion for him and his supporters and he will not go down without a fight.
Prediction
Rodriguez is the younger man but doesn’t have much of a pedigree at Ally Pally, though has not had the best of draws in years gone by. Malicdem will keep plugging away, whatever the circumstances, and can wear down his opponent over five sets.
