Can Phil Taylor’s phenomenal record in the World Grand Prix continue next week in Citywest?
There’s no way to preview next week’s PartyPoker.com World Darts Grand Prix without beginning with the one and only Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.
In the 14-year history of the event, Taylor has won 10 times. In any other sport that would be remarkable but in darts, Taylor makes a habit of dominating every tournament on the calendar.
However, The Power’s Grand Prix record is arguably even more impressive than his 13 World titles, 13 World Matchplay crowns and six Premier Leagues. With its unique format of ‘double to start, double to finish’ the Grand Prix is designed to create shocks and drama. And it does, in spades, with big seeds tumbling early and often.
But Taylor sails on imperiously. Only Alan Warriner (2001), Colin Lloyd (2004) and James Wade twice (2007, 2010) have broken Taylor’s grip on the trophy, with the big man’s exit in the first round of the 2007 event one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history.
Taylor romped to the crown, and the £100,000 first prize, last year, dropping only six sets over five matches, beating our own Brendan Dolan in the final 6-3.
And if you were wondering what sort of form the 51-year-old is heading into this year’s event in Citywest then we can tell you he is playing just as well as ever. Taylor has already bagged two of the biggest prizes available so far, the Premier League and the World Matchplay, and he’s the justified favourite to win again next week.
But with a super strong field up against Taylor, he will have to keep up his frankly insane standards of play to prevail again. Second seed Adrian Lewis, a one-time protege of Taylor, has the ability to topple the champ, and he has won the last two World titles. But his form this year has been poor, and he finished sixth in the Premier League.
A better bet to take home the prize is James Wade. The Machine has won this event twice and he reached the final of the World Matchplay this year, going down to you-know-who. If we were to have a sneaky punt on someone apart from Taylor to win, Wade would carry our money.
Gary Anderson and Simon Whitlock are other guys with the ability and toughness to survive the cut-throat format of the Grand Prix but with Anderson facing last year’s finalist Dolan in the first round, he will have his work cut out.
Dolan leads three Irish challengers to the oche, with Michael Mansell and William O’Connor getting the call up from the ProTour. Realistically, hopes of an Irish win rest on Dolan and he did beat Taylor at the European Championship earlier this year, his first victory over The Power in 15 attempts. Can he repeat the trick?
We’ll have to tune in to see.
The World Grand Prix runs at Citywest from October 8-14. We have VIP packages to the event to give away courtesy of McCoy’s so click here for your chance to win.
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