BoyleSports World Grand Prix Preview: “The time to peak… starts now”
The BoyleSports World Grand Prix is many things.
It’s unique, in that it’s the only tournament where players start and end legs on a double.
It’s special, in that it’s just one of two tournaments a year where matches are played in sets rather than legs.
And, it’s important. It’s the first of five TV events in two months, leading up to the World Darts Championship in December. The time to peak, and be on top of your game, starts now.
Top four look to continue dominance
A classic case in peaking at the right time is the current world number one. This time last year, Gerwyn Price won the event behind closed doors in Coventry, and went on to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy at the Alexandra Palace. In 2021, The Iceman heads up the M69 to Leicester, looking to win his first TV title since going top of the darts rankings. He comes in in great form, having won two Euro Tour events, but if he can retain this trophy, it could lay down a marker similar to 12 months ago.
He’s also the only one of the top four not to win a TV title so far this year. Peter Wright was victorious at the World Matchplay, James Wade won the UK Open, while Michael van Gerwen won the Nordic Darts Masters. For the latter, winning his first title of any sort in 293 days is a big step. However, at a time when he is defending a lot of money on his ranking, not least the £110,000 for winning this event two years ago, can The Green Machine produce his top game once again now he has the monkey off his back?
“Can anyone compete with the top four?”
Outside of those four, the rest of the field isn’t too shabby either, with some cracking first round ties.
Michael Smith, still searching for his first ranking TV title, gets Price in round one. Rob Cross, a former World Champion, takes on Wright as well.
Nathan Aspinall plays World Matchplay semi finalist Krzysztof Ratajski. Last year’s finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode takes on Luke Humphries, who lost out to James Wade in the UK Open final.
Humphries is also one of six debutants at the event, which also include Darius Labanauskas, the first ever Lithuanian to participate.
Jonny Clayton looks to get back to the form that saw him lift the Premier League. Gary Anderson, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Jose De Sousa are all vying to win this event for the first time.
While the quality is there, can anyone really compete with the top four, and lift the BoyleSports World Grand Prix?
The crowd in Leicester will play their part, and despite the event not being held in it’s traditional home of the Citywest near Dublin for the second straight year, the atmosphere at the Morningside Arena should be sensational.
The start of the busiest period of the season is among us. It’s now time to sit back, and enjoy the ride.
How can I follow the BoyleSports World Grand Prix?
The BoyleSports World Grand Prix will be live on Sky Sports in the UK. You can watch it outside the UK via the PDC’s broadcast partners, such as RTL or DAZN.
You can also live stream the event. Find out more here.
We’ll have you covered here at Online Darts, with reaction with every winner of every game direct from Leicester. Head over to our YouTube channel and hit subscribe so you don’t miss a video.
We’ll have a live blog for you every session of the tournament, so you don’t miss a moment even if you can’t watch live. We’ll also produce The Fallout Bar on our YouTube channel, giving instant reaction and analysis from the day’s play, plus your chance to have your say. It will also be available as a podcast on the morning after play.
Plus, we give regular updates on:
Follow all the drama of the BoyleSports World Grand Prix with us here at Online Darts.
