PDC World Darts Championship - World Darts Championship
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by Devesh Jaganath | in PDC World Darts Championship Predictions
Match two on opening night at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship will see Michael Smith taking on Lisa Ashton at Alexandra Palace. The winner of this match between Bully Boy and The Lancashire Rose will face either Niels Zonneveld or Haupai Puha in the second round. Let’s get into the key stats.
Michael Smith needs little introduction, as he was part of producing what is still considered the best left of darts ever, right here at the Ally Pally against Michael van Gerwen in the 2023 final.
Bully Boy has had a tough couple of years since then, but showed signs of his undeniable class last month, when he reached the quarter-final of the Grand Slam before bowing out to Luke Humphries.
Smith was ousted in the opening round of the Players Championship finals in his last competition, but he has won each of his last four matches against this opponent.
Meanwhile, Lisa Ashton was among the first high-profile women to bridge into the PDC-organised events and is widely known for her finishing prowess in big-match situations.
The Lancashire Rose won the 2025 Women’s World Matchplay in July - her maiden Matchplay title - beating several top female players, including Beau Greaves and Fallon Sherrock.
Ashton also featured in the 2025 Grand Slam but failed to get out of the group stage, though she did push Gian van Veen to the wire before losing the match 5-4.
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Michael Smith - Lisa Ashton Key Points
- Michael Smith is ranked inside the top 30 in the world standings.
- Michael Smith has seven major televised titles and 20 non-televised PDC titles.
- Michael Smith has reached three World Championship finals since 2019.
- Michael Smith has won his last four matches against this opponent.
- Lisa Ashton failed to win a leg in two of her three matches at the 2025 grand Slam.
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Our Michael Smith vs Lisa Ashton Prediction
Lisa Ashton is one of the most respected female players on the pro circuit, and she has had an excellent year, capped off by winning her first Women’s World Matchplay title in July against the formidable Fallon Sherrock.
However, barring her opening match against Gian van Veen at the Grand Slam last month, Ashton was unable to make much of an impact against her male counterparts, and we feel that she will struggle to do so in this one as well. Our Michael Smith vs Lisa Ashton prediction is Michael Smith -1.5.
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