Ross Smith is back at the World Matchplay for the fifth time, and he arrives with a fresh reminder of what he can do when his game is at its best. Two months ago, Smith won his first European Tour title in Riesa, a result that pointed to a return to the level he showed when he won the European Championship in 2022.
That matters because Smith is not just walking into another major event as a familiar name. He is coming in with momentum, and that is something he has not always been able to carry into the biggest stages. The Riesa win gives him a clear recent marker, while his World Matchplay history suggests he can handle this tournament well enough to matter.
A familiar tournament, a better version of Smith
This will be Smith’s fifth appearance at the World Matchplay. Two years ago, he reached the quarter-finals after beating Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price, which remains one of the strongest signs of what he can bring when the scoring is there and the timing is right. He has already shown he can make a deep run at this event, and now he is returning with a more convincing current profile than he had for much of the season.
That recent form is important because the player across from him, Kevin Doets, has been in the form of his career. Doets won his first title in 2026 and has reached 13 quarter-finals this year, so this is not a straightforward matchup against someone simply trying to make up the numbers.
Doets has also produced four 110+ averages in 2026, including a 117.12 average on the European Tour, which underlines how dangerous he can be when his best scoring shows up. Every previous meeting between Smith and Doets has come in Players Championship events, and over the last four years they have met seven times.
What the head-to-head says
Smith and Doets have split their meetings with four wins apiece across those seven encounters, so there is little to separate them on paper. Doets won their most recent meeting in May, but Smith has already shown he can produce on the bigger stage when the pressure rises.
For Smith, the question is whether the Riesa title was the start of a broader return to form or just a strong week at the right time. For Doets, it is a chance to prove that his 2026 season is not just a run of good results, but a level he can sustain against established opposition.
Either way, this is a meeting that feels more meaningful than a routine early-round draw. Smith has the recent title, the World Matchplay history and the pedigree from 2022. Doets has the current numbers and the kind of season that makes him a real threat. That combination should make this one worth watching.
