Darts World Championship: The story so far

As the final 16 players have almost all been named, we’re going to look back through the tournament so far, see who we think has the best shot to win each quarter of the draw, to make the final, and eventually to win the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy.

The story so far…

The PDC Darts World Championship has thrown up some memorable moments and some incredible performances in rounds 1,2 and 3 already.

Most recently, pre-tournament favourite Luke Humphries had a battle with German debutant Ricardo Pietreczko in round 3. Humphries found himself 3-1 down in sets and he looked as if he was going to be at the wrong end of an upset, however he rallied to win 4-3 and regain his title bid. Luke afterwards described the match as ‘the toughest’ he’s been in.

A comeback wasn’t on the cards for all the big names in round 3, as the same night saw the crashing exit of Welshman Gerwyn Price. Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan played some emphatic darts to reverse the form with Price and was victorious with a final score of 4-2.

This opening to the tournament has also seen the rise of debutant Luke Littler, he has taken the darting world by storm with impressive wins against the likes of Andrew Gilding and Matt Campbell and is really becoming a fan favourite. Arguably the most impressive player of the tournament to date is Stephen Bunting, winning both his games with ease and has yet to lose a set this tournament. He faces Michael Van Gerwen in round 4 which is set to be an explosive spectacle.

Predicted Quarter winners

1st Quarter

The first quarter is a tight affair with last year’s winner Michael Smith seemingly in the driving seat. However, in round 4 he is up against Chris Dobey who won an epic contest against Ross Smith, hitting 14 maximums with a 3-dart average of 102.36. It will not be a walkover for Michael Smith. The winner of this round 4 match will face one of Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton, or Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter final. Rob Cross has been back playing some of best darts this year and we believe there is still more to come. Cross is 2/1 to win the 1st Quarter.

2nd Quarter

This quarter is now wide open, with Gerwyn Price now no longer in the mix. This gives a massive opportunity for debutant Luke Littler to reach the Semi-Finals this year. However, the same can be said for any player left in the quarter and they will all feel as if they have a big chance. The Flying Scotsman, Gary Anderson, will know that he can use his experience in big moments at Alexandra Palace and that is why he is our selection for this quarter at 13/8

3rd Quarter

The third quarter is home to Michael van Gerwen who is up against Stephen Bunting in round 4 to reach a quarter final against one of Scott Williams, Damon Heta or Berry van Peer. The winner of MVG and Stephen Bunting will most likely go on to win the quarter.

4th Quarter

The final quarter final will be made up of the winners from both Luke Humphries vs Joe Cullen and Daryl Gurney vs Dave Chisnall. All four have bold claims but Luke Humphries is our selection after a tough battle in the last round, his confidence should be high, knowing that he can hold his nerve in tough situations. He is 4/5 to win the quarter.

Final

Our prediction for the final of this year’s PDC World Championship is Rob Cross vs Michael van Gerwen, with MVG our selection to win a fourth World Championship at 11/4.

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