Mardle believes Ratajski is a dark horse at the Ally Pally

WAYNE MARDLE has named Krzysztof Ratajski as a surprise dark horse to make an impact at the World Championship.

The former semi-finalist believes that the Pole can be a real threat at the Ally Pally in two months time.

Mardle also refuses to believe that Luke Littler’s recent early exit at the Grand Prix has any bearing over his chances in future majors.

Mardle told Tungsten Tales: “A dark horse used to be one of those players that the people didn't, let's say the people, the public didn't really know much about. And it's one of those, an outsider, oh, I didn't know about that.”

But he added on Ratajski: “Someone who always plays well is a dark horse because no one ever mentions him. He won't win it, but he'll have a run because he's world class and he's never a name that rolls off the tongue."

Littler crashed out of the Grand Prix last month to Luke Woodhouse.

But Mardle added: “What he's been doing has been ridiculous. Losing shouldn't seem ridiculous, but it's gone all the other way, hasn't it? As in, he gets beat and the world kind of stops and everything thinks that it's been flipped on its head, but he's going to lose.

"The amount he's been winning has been incredible, so losing, I think it was just going to come. I'm not saying that I expected him to lose, because I did not.

"From my point of view for him, it's the way he's lost. He didn't play well at all against Luke Woodhouse. Luke himself said that it was one of those scrappy games, so from my point of view, he'll be slightly bothered by the performances.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.