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Michael van Gerwen was being heavily questioned this time last year as his brilliance had diminished and his title-winning proficiency had faded away, although the former world number one has had the answers this season and sets his sights on a fourth major accolade.
His successes in the Premier League, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix mean that the Dutchman has reigned victorious at all three Sky Sports-broadcast events this season – a sensational record that he will want to keep intact with the World Darts Championship around the corner.
Gerwyn Price and the Grand Slam of Darts, meanwhile, have developed into a match made in heaven in recent years and he will be most likely to stop Van Gerwen in his tracks, with two-time runner-up Peter Wright, Michael Smith and Jonny Clayton the other leading title contenders.
Four of the world’s current top 16 failed to come through qualifying for the tournament, with 2020 champion Jose de Sousa and Dimitri Van den Bergh amongst them. James Wade and Gary Anderson’s ever-present records were scuppered as Wade was unsuccessful and Anderson didn’t bother entering.
Seven debutants take to the Wolverhampton stage nonetheless, including youngster Josh Rock – who’s burst onto the scene without batting an eyelid this year – as well as Leonard Gates and Christian Perez as the Asian and North American champions feature for the first time.
QUARTER ONE
Gerwyn Price is eyeing his fourth title in five years and must feel like he’s entering his fortress each time he returns to the Aldersley Leisure Village. His ill-mannered triumph against Gary Anderson four years ago is a distant memory now, although the world number one has stamped his authority on the tournament since then.
Only Simon Whitlock and Martin Schindler have beaten the Welshman in three years at the Grand Slam’s temporary home, with the in-form Dave Chisnall, former champion Raymond van Barneveld and world youth champion Ted Evetts tasked with inflicting a rare defeat.
Price has remained vulnerable at times in recent months despite reaching the World Matchplay final and World Grand Prix semi-finals. With Belgian Darts Open champion Chisnall firing on all cylinders at present, the former world champion could have a sizeable assignment on his hands to top Group A.
UK Open champion Danny Noppert, meanwhile, has a favourable group in Whitlock, Mensur Suljovic and Asian champion Christian Perez, with the Dutchman having beaten Suljovic six years ago on his way to qualifying for the knockout stages as a BDO representative.
Noppert will be heavily expected to run away with Group B without stumbling and you’d expect Whitlock and Suljovic’s encounter to decide who joins him in progressing. Perez impressed in winning last month’s Asian Championship nonetheless and could have a say in who books their place in the knockout rounds.
Prediction: Price beats Chisnall in the quarter-finals
QUARTER TWO
Michael Smith defeated both Joe Cullen and Michael van Gerwen on his way to the semi-finals twelve months ago. His latest quest for a maiden major accolade gets underway in a group involving Cullen, debutant Ritchie Edhouse and Lisa Ashton.
Lisa Ashton has never managed a victory ahead of her fourth Grand Slam appearance and she’s nowhere near the player she was a year or two ago. Her seven PDC Women’s Series successes helped her qualify once again, however, you have to feel it would be Beau Greaves gracing Wolverhampton had her re-emergence come sooner.
It would be a considerable shock should either Smith or Cullen be unable to advance, with both Premier League stars having landed multiple titles this season. A straight shoot-out between the two of them could confirm the group winner, not that finishing top would secure them an easier contest.
Two-time quarter-finalist Rob Cross, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Martin Schindler have all been pitted into an intriguing Group D. Something will have to give as the latter two have never surpassed the group stage, but it’s usually the Dutchman who holds his nerve the better on the stage.
Cross has reached three European Tour finals and won two ranking titles this season but that lingering vulnerability remains. Both Van Duijvenbode and Schindler could find themselves in the second round, while Adam Gawlas will struggle in a tough group after a scrappy qualifying campaign.
Prediction: Smith beats Van Duijvenbode in the quarter-finals
QUARTER THREE
Peter Wright and Fallon Sherrock’s quarter-final showdown was one of the most memorable moments from last year’s tournament. Sherrock had landed that 170 checkout and beaten Mike De Decker, Gabriel Clemens and Mensur Suljovic, before posting a 98.90 average over 29 legs.
Sherrock has showed little to no signs of that form this year nonetheless, recently being leapfrogged by Beau Greaves in the Alexandra Palace race through the PDC Women’s Series, and you have to feel that she will struggle based on recent performances.
Aspinall has been one of the stand-out performers this season, reaching the World Matchplay quarter-finals and World Grand Prix final, while Wright has been very inconsistent since becoming world champion for a second time as he sets sights on adding the Grand Slam to his trophy haul.
Debutant Alan Soutar has the potential of causing an upset or two, as the Scotsman did on his Alexandra Palace bow last December. Soutar posted three ton-plus averages during his qualifying campaign and has seemingly found his feet again after a patchy second season.
Meanwhile, former quarter-finalists Jonny Clayton and Damon Heta are firm favourites to come through Group F, although they have somewhat struggled in the televised majors since the summer. Clayton has won only four matches in major events all season, while Heta has not claimed a victory since reaching March’s UK Open quarter-finals but did land his maiden European Tour success in Gibraltar.
In the form of Jermaine Wattimena and North American champion Leonard Gates, they have two potential banana skins to contend with. Wattimena recorded three ton-plus averages en route to sealing qualification and reached a ProTour quarter-final last weekend, while Gates has clocked some sensational numbers on the North American circuit.
Prediction: Aspinall beats Heta in the quarter-finals
QUARTER FOUR
Josh Rock is the name on everybody’s lips heading into his Sky Sports debut at the Grand Slam, and the Northern Irish youngster locking horns with three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in the second round in a strong possibility.
Rock leads the way in the average, checkout percentage and legs finished in 12 darts or less statistics for the second half of the year and is ripping up the record books, so much so that he’s expected to become through the ‘group of death’ involving Luke Humphries, Ryan Searle and Scott Williams.
All four players in a mouth-watering Group H are fast-paced and rhythmic throwers who have all won ranking titles this season. Humphries needs no introduction as a four-time European Tour champion but endured opening round exits at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix, while Searle has been inconsistent and Williams has scribed his name in the history books as an associate member.
Van Gerwen will almost certainly await whoever prevails in a mind-boggling section of the draw. The former world number one’s vulnerability of yesteryear still exists somewhat but certainly less frequently now, and he’s staggeringly only endured one group stage defeat in ten years.
Ross Smith will be his biggest test in the group stage, with the Kent thrower posting three ton-plus averages on his way to winning the European Championship two weeks ago, while Nathan Rafferty will be vying to reach the knockout stage for a second successive year as Luke Woodhouse makes his debut.
Prediction: Van Gerwen beats Rock in the quarter-finals
Overall: Price beats Van Gerwen in the final
