The Cazoo 2023 World Darts Championship kicked off last week and as yet there have been few major surprises. Perhaps that should come as no shock. Despite a rash of recent debut major winners and two new winners in the last three years, the last 28 had seen barely double figures in terms of PDC World Champions.
Whilst most are aware that the first two decades were dominated by Phil Taylor (16 wins) the ‘post-Power’ era has already yielded half a dozen different new winners. since Phil’s last in 2013, could we see yet another for 2023?
Gerwyn Price was the most recent new name to pick up the Sid Waddell trophy after he beat Gary Anderson to win in 2021, the only year where the competition had to be played behind closed doors with London in lockdown due to the COVID 19 Pandemic.
This year has seen multiple maiden tv major championship winners, from Joe Cullen at the start of the year winning the Masters to secure a spot in the Premier League to Michael Smith, ending his long wait for a PDC Major title having lost in multiple finals. Wolverhampton’s Aldersley Leisure Village saw Bully Boy run riot, beating Nathan Aspinall 16-5 to win the Grand Slam of Darts.
With a new look schedule this year, the world stage will see numerous debutants including WDF Ladies Champion Beau Greaves, who won eight Women’s Series events in a row to join Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock as the three ladies to enter the 96-player field. With mere hours to go until the start of the tungsten drama, could we see an eleventh different name on the famous trophy?
Jonny Clayton comes into the World Championship on the back of a mixed year, with the Welshman shining brightest during the Premier League back in the early stages of the PDC Darting calendar.
The Ferret became the only player to win four Premier League nights, after a new format was announced which would involve a mini-tournament every week and the further you progress, the more points you get.
Clayton came into the round robin competition as the defending champion and showed just why after night 16 finishing top of the league and nine points clear of second-placed Michael van Gerwen.
The Red Dragon star could face a former World Champion in Steve Beaton in the Second Round, but that’s only for certain if the Bronzed Adonis can make it past his First-Round match with Danny van Trijp.
Michael Smith ended his long wait for a PDC Major televised title having lost in many major Finals, including last year’s World Final despite averaging more as Snakebite claimed a 7-5 win at the Ally Pally.
Bully Boy went on to lose in the Finals of both the UK Open and the European Championship Finals, giving Danny Noppert and Ross Smith their first PDC Majors in 2022. The Englishman though will have a lot more confidence in his game after getting over the line in Wolverhampton, with a return to a venue he thrives at only around the corner.
Could 2023 be the year for Michael Smith with his darting dream to get his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy on January 3rd, a year on from his devasting defeat. Smith goes into the competition as the Number 4 Seed with the St Helens man winning the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden back in June. The reigning Grand Slam champion will face either Jermaine Wattimena or Nathan Rafferty in the First Round on the second night of action.
Luke Humphries has enjoyed what has been the best year in his darting life, becoming the most successful player on the 2022 European Tour being the only man to win four different events. The success has led the Red Dragon star to come into North London as the Number 5 seed, with Cool Hand at the age 27 already appearing in three World Quarter Finals.
The Englishman is yet to win a televised major title, appearing in just one Final when he lost the 2021 UK Open to James Wade at Butlin’s Minehead Resort. Humphries included a 7-0 win over Michael van Gerwen in the Semi Finals of the 2022 German Darts Grand Prix averaging 107 before going on to beat Martin Lukeman 8-2 in the Final.
The Newbury born darting star also won the Czech Darts Open, European Darts Grand Prix and the European Darts Matchplay, beating former World Champion Rob Cross in back-to-back Finals. Cool Hand will face either Keegan Brown or recent Winmau signing Florian Hempel, who knocked out last year’s fifth seed Dimitri van den Bergh before the Christmas break.
James Wade: has appeared in numerous World Championships, and it is hard to believe that a player of the Machine’s quality has not picked up a single World Title.
The former Premier League winner could have counted himself majorly unlucky in his defeat to Adrian Lewis in the 2012 World Championship Semi Finals, having lead 5-1 before losing 6-5 to the man who would eventually lift the trophy days later after he beat Andy Hamilton in the Final. The World trophy is the one missing on Wade’s roll of honours, could 2023 be the one?
The Aldershot man finished in the top four of the Premier League finishing above World Number 1 and 2 Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price in the table to qualify for Berlin. Wade enters the Palace as the number 8 seed and will face either Sebastian Bialecki or former BDO World Finalist Jim Williams who also has claimed glory in the Red Dragon Champion of Champions.
Nathan Aspinall has returned to form in 2022 picking up two Players Championship titles whilst also going on to reach the Final of both the Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts. The Asp returns to the World’s top ten ahead of the World Championship and will want redemption after being whitewashed last year by a hot in form Callan Rydz.
The Stockport man has reached the Semi Finals at the Alexandra Palace on two separate occasions, beating Gerwyn Price in the opening round of the 2019 competition before going on to lose to Michael Smith in the Semi Finals 6-3 despite averaging above a ton.
Aspinall will hope for a deep run this year but could run into Jonny Clayton in the Last 16 if both players can make it past their other opponents. The former UK Open champion will face either Toru Suzuki or big Croatian Boris Krcmar who every now and again on the Pro Tour and Euro Tour, can cause problems for the big names on the main stage.
Dave Chisnall arguably is a contender for the best performance ever seen on the Alexandra Palace stage, having beat Michael van Gerwen 5-0 in the Quarter Finals of the 2021 Worlds. Chizzy has reached the Semi Finals on just that one occasion, losing to former back-to-back champion Gary Anderson showing the last four clash with the Scot was maybe a game to many.
The Englishman has achieved success on the Pro Tour, beating Northern Irish youngster Josh Rock to win Players Championship 25 whilst also winning the Belgian Darts Trophy, having beat Andrew Gilding 8-6 towards the end of September in Wieze.
Chisnall could well face Goldfinger again in the opening round at the Ally Pally, with the veteran needing to beat Champion of Champions Semi-Finalist Robert Owen in the First Round to set up a repeat of the Belgian Darts Trophy Final.
The Cazoo 2023 World Darts Championship kicks off on the 15th of December for what’s going to be another exiting festive period, filled with the very best tungsten drama all the way until the Final on January 3rd.
—–ENDS—–
Image: PDC/ PDC Europe
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