PDC World Championship - Preview Part 2
Who are the potential winners?
I think I don't put my head above the parapet when I say that I don't believe one of the German speaking players will be the next World Champion. I exclude as well that one of the interenational players or even one of the players who qualified by the Pro tour Order of Merit will win the World Championship. Even a place in the semi-finals for one of those is unrealistic in my eyes though of course upsets always are possible and one often underestimates the international qualifiers. And sometimes one even hopes to be surprised and that the new World champion might be perhaps Koha Kokiri from New Zealand.
But I don't think it will happen in this World Championship and believe the next worl Champion will be one out of the Top 16 of the Order of Merit. And even from those top 16 I would like to exclude some - Michael Smith, Ian White, Vincent van der Voort, Simon Whitlock, Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King I feel will not be the next World Champion but all of them are capable to reach a semi-final. Jenkins is just not consistent enough at the moment, Mervyn King has a lot of problems with his back - such a long tournament is difficult for him. Vincent van der Voort just throws too fast which sometimes gets in the way with his consistency in such a long tournament. Whitlock was not really playing well over the last few years - I just can't imagine he will be able to produce a string if great performances to win the title and I would think the same is applicable to Ian White and Michael Smith. I can imagine though all mentioned to reach the quarter - or semi-finals.
The betting companies see Michael van Gerwen as the clear favourite to win the World Championship followed by Phil Taylor, reigning champion Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Peter Wright. My ideas about the topic are very similar only I see less chances for Anderson to defend the title and would add Raymond van Barneveld to the possible candidates for the win.
The first of the favourites on stage traditionally will be the reigning champion and so Gary Anderson will play on the first evening of the tournament. He's play against the winer of the preliminary match between Andy Boulton and Per Laursen - a match he really should win although Laursen already caused an upset in Alexandra Palace. The second round match should be no problem for Anderson either. Round three might mean a match against Vincent van der Voort but van der Voort is a fast player - probably not too much of a problem either. Possible quarterfinal opponent could be James Wade - that could be hard work for Anderson should he not have been able to improve his form during the last few weeks. A semi-final match against Phil Taylor could wait for Anderson - to be honest I almost can't imagine Anderson will manage to defend the title.
Michael van Gerwen will be the next to favourite to win the tournament who'll come on stage. I can't see any problems for him in rounds one and two. But in the third round he could meet fellow country man Raymond van Barneveld - and that could be a rather close match especially as van Barneveld played some brilliant darts recently. He's already won severyl time against van Gerwen and too be sure he'll give all to win again. Should van Gerwen win his next opponent could be Adrian Lewis and should Adrian be focused and determined it will not be an easy job for van Gerwen either as to be sure Lewis will want the title back as much as van Gerwen does. And the final - well, it could be a certain Phil Taylor will wait in the final.
And than we have - of course Phil Taylor: Could he win a 17. World Champion title? I wouldn't rule it out - not after his performances in the last months. Of course he had a lot more problems to hit his doubles than we were used to But on the other side he certainly has a lot of experience to prepare for the World Championship and to get rid of flaws. I am almost sure he will win his first match. Probably it will be Kevin Painter next but Painter is - though he seemed to get better - not the threat he was some years ago. Mervyn King or Jelle Klaasen could be next - not really easy but doable. It is very hard to predict who from Taylor's part of the throw will reach the quarterfinals. I would say Webster and Jenkins have a better chance than Thornton or even Hamilton though Hamilton seems to like the World Championship. But whoever will be the quarterfinal opponent - I tend to believe Taylor will be stronger. The semi-final could offer Taylor Wade or Anderson - solvable for Taylor I would think.
James Wade to be sure is always in every tournament a player who could win the title - at least when he manages not only to play consistently through an event but through every single match as well. That's is often enough his problem. He stars a lot of matches strong but then wanes and his opponents can turn the match around because he didn't cross the finishing line in time. But I think he's beside Taylor and Anderson the strongest player in the second half of the draw.
All in all Michael van Gerwen is in the more difficult half of the draw and beside van Barneveld and Lewis Dave Chisnall and Peter Wright are really dangerous players. But those two will probably already meet second round. I think that it will be Peter Wright who will progress into the quarterfinals and there meet Adrian Lewis. He could possibly meet van Gerwen or van Barneveld in the semi-finals. I am not sure that either Chisnall or Wright are yet able to consequentially play a tournament too the end and win it. But of those two I would rather think Wright capable of doing it.
As many of the betting companies at the moment I can see a Van Gerwen Taylor final for this World championship. The First Round matches to be sure will give some evidence how big the chances really are.