Mens Grand Prix
World Grand Prix preview: Price favourite to successfully defend his title
The World Grand Prix is back on Sunday and Leicester’s Morningside Arena will play host to the iconic tournament for this year’s renewal.
The Iceman, Gerwyn Price, won this event for the first-time last year and will be looking to retain his crown and become only the fourth man to win the competition multiple times.
In this blog, we take a look at the market leaders for the event and who could potentially cause an upset.
Price on top form
The world number one, Gerwyn Price, is absolutely flying at the moment having won 100% of the European Tour events, after following up his victory in Hungary with triumph in Gibraltar. He also put in two solid performances against both Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-final and then against Nathan Aspinall in the semi-final before whitewashing Mensur Suljović to claim the title. Price had to pull out of the Nordic Masters a week prior due to an elbow problem, so it was a worry that this may still hamper him. However, he turned up in Gibraltar and blew the field away.
It’s clear that Price is enjoying the way he’s playing at the moment and it’s no surprise to see The Iceman priced as a 4/1 favourite for this year’s tournament. However, he’s been given a tough first-round draw against world number nine Michael Smith. Price is 4/11 to progress but it could be a troublesome clash.
MVG on the hunt for more titles
Michael van Gerwen has won the World Grand Prix five times in the past and is the second most successful player behind Phil Taylor (11). Van Gerwen had shown glimpses of his best form in recent weeks and finally picked up his first title of 2021 when winning the Nordic Masters. The Green Machine had totted up almost 10 months without a title and was left visibly emotional after the victory.
This could be the spark that MVG has been missing and if he was to win the World Grand Prix, it could be the beginning of a string of great results. He’s the second favourite for the competition and is currently priced at 5/1. Van Gerwen has been drawn against Danny Noppert in his opening round, a clash that sees him as the 1/4 favourite.
Snakebite aiming for the top
Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright is 5/1 to win the tournament and could add yet more silverware to this year’s tally. Wright has won six titles in 2021 and said a few months back that he would win both the World Matchplay and the World Darts Championship. He’s ticked the Matchplay off the list and will have a live chance going into the Worlds.
He’s also got a tough draw, facing 2018 world champion Rob Cross, but is the 1/3 favourite to progress.
Ones to watch
The third most successful player in the World Grand Prix is James Wade, who has two wins to his name. Enjoying another solid year, Wade has moved up to fourth in the world rankings and won this year’s UK Open. His last win in this competition came in 2010 but he was a finalist in 2014. Wade could be a lively contender if at the top of his game at 20/1.
Callan Rydz has been making a name for himself on the circuit this year. His performances have ramped up, something that was highlighted by his sensational victory against Peter Wright in the second round of the Gibraltar Darts Trophy. He averaged a sensational 110.72, the highest of the tournament, while hitting 100% of his doubles, including a fantastic 170 check-out. It may be a step too far to assume that he could go all the way (he’s currently 125/1 in the market), but Rydz could certainly cause a few upsets, starting with Jonny Clayton in his opening tie. He’s 19/10 to beat The Ferret but is not one to be overlooked.
