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'It's not nice. They're my best mates' – Chris Dobey admits mixed emotions after early World Matchplay exits for Humphries & Aspinall

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 11:11 AM ET

Chris Dobey admitted to feeling mixed emotions after his World Matchplay first-round win on Sunday night, revealing to Dartsnews.com that he takes no joy in the early Blackpool exits of some of his title rivals.

The Bedlington star defied a sluggish start to see off Ricardo Pietreczko 10-5 and reach the last 16 in Blackpool for a fourth consecutive year — but confessed that the early departures of Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall had taken some of the shine off his own progress.

“They’re two of my best friends in the game,” Dobey said. “You want them to be around, and I probably spend more time with them than I do with my family when we’re on the road. So yeah, it’s not nice to see them go out, but I've got to focus on myself.”

The sixth seed had to ride out a slow start against Pietreczko, trailing early before turning on the style with a burst of seven legs from the final eight. “I was struggling early on. I was rushing,” he admitted. “Ricardo had a few bounce-outs and he was taking an extra couple of seconds at the board to get his darts out, and I was kind of pushing myself to keep up. But once I settled, I felt good. The scoring was there — it was just the doubles letting us down early doors.”

Dobey’s determination to grind out the result when not at his best was a clear source of pride: “It’s nice to win ugly now and again. I think if I can do that more often, it’s a sign of a good player. It’s about how you react when you’re not playing well — and I stuck at it tonight.”

Chris Dobey: “I’m due a win in a major”

The 2023 Masters champion is still searching for his first ranked TV title, and believes that kind of win is overdue. “I’m due a win in a major,” he said. “The last one I won wasn’t ranked and it feels like a lifetime ago. I’m playing well and I’m putting the work in. It’s about producing it when it matters.”

With the seedings currently based on a two-year order of merit, Dobey admitted that the struggles of some of the sport’s biggest names — including defending Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall — are a reminder of how volatile the system can be.

“You see some of the players slipping out of things and it’s mad how the rankings are. I think a one-year Order of Merit would make more sense,” he said. “Michael Smith’s just missed out [on the Matchplay] — he had a lot of money to defend from winning the Worlds, and he's hardly missed anything this year. I’m just trying to focus on playing well. If I play well, I’ve got a great chance of winning this — and if I don’t, I go home.”

With a meeting against in form Gerwyn Price looming, Dobey knows tougher tests await — but insists he’s ready. “I believe I’m one of the best players in the world. I’ve got the game, I’ve got the scoring, and when the doubles go, I’ll be a match for anyone.”