There is no tournament like it. The PDC World Grand Prix is a unique affair on the darting calendar, a double-in extravaganza that almost guarantees shocks, surprises, breakout performances and all the rest. The 2018 edition of the tournament kicks off this weekend, with 32 of the finest dartists on the planet descending on Dublin for what will hopefully be a week of magnificent arrows. Judging by the standard on the PDC tour in 2018, magnificence should be the minimum expectation.

The history of the Grand Prix suggests that shocks are guaranteed, but where are those shocks going to come? The 2018 draw is a fascinating one, but a lot of that is down to how few major shocks seem to be on the cards. The short format of the first round means the top players are always walking down streets strewn with banana peels, but dedicated fans might call shenanigans on whether or not these are ‘shocks’ or not.

Take Dave Chisnall vs. Max Hopp. On the one hand you have Chizzy, the number eight seed, a Premier League player as recently as last year and a consistent presence in televised events over the last few years. Hopp is an up and coming talent, currently ranked 34th in the world after picking up his first ranking titles this year. Should be a close one, but anything other than a Chisnall win would be a shock, right?

Not quite. An hour or so ago, Hopp came through an incredible stacked field to win his first PDC Players Championship tournament and his second ranking championship of the year, defeating Darren Webster, James Wilson and others on his way to the title. Chisnall is heading to Dublin off a few hammerings at the Champions League last week, under the pressure that comes from younger players breathing down your neck. I don’t know the odds, but stick a quid on the Maximiser here.

At the other end of the draw is another battle between Europe and the UK, this time in the shape of Danny Noppert vs. Gerwyn Price. Price has had a difficult year, enduring a terrible run in the Premier League before being hampered with injury through much of the summer, but he has come back strongly and picked up a Euro Tour title a couple of weekends ago. He should make easy work of Noppert, right? Don’t be so sure. Noppert has quietly gone about his business in his first year on the PDC Tour, and is a consistent player moving in the right direction. The short format in the first round makes this a closer game than you might think, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Noppert pick up his first major TV scalp in the PDC.

The 2018 PDC World Grand Prix draw is a fascinating one, because it shows just how deep the quality is in the modern world. 10 years ago, the number six seed was Wayne Mardle, and Hawaii 501 easily dispatched Felix McBrearty in the first round. In 2018, the number six seed is Mensur Suljović, who finds himself up against seven times major winner James Wade. Michael Smith vs. Adrian Lewis might be getting the attention, but Suljović vs. Wade is the real humdinger in this first round.

There’s more. Simon Whitlock might find himself in trouble against an in-form James Wilson, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Steve West beat Peter Wright, and John Henderson will be quietly confident against defending champion Daryl Gurney. Form takes on (relative) experience in the shape of Jeffrey de Zwaan vs. Kim Huybrechts, and two of the most consistent players on the circuit will collide in the shape of Darren Webster and Stephen Bunting.

In years gone by, you could look at the draw for a PDC major and have a decent enough guess at the quarter final line up. Not any more. The rankings suggest a bottom half that will end with Wright vs. Whitlock and Cross vs. Suljović, but it could just as easily be West vs. Wilson and Ian White vs. Noppert. The bottom half of this draw looks particularly tasty.

I say that, because despite the unpredictable nature of the tournament, it would take immense bravery to bet against Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson meeting in the first semi final. They are undoubtedly the two best players in the world right now, and it will take an almighty performance to knock either out early. Sure, van Gerwen hasn’t blown the world away in 2018, but come on — he’s Michael van Gerwen. If he plays his best, he wins. He is the only player on the planet who can say that 100% of the time.

And Anderson? Four televised tournament wins in 2018 don’t tell the whole story. The Flying Scotsman has dominated opponents, pulling big finishes out when he needs them most and bullying more inexperienced foes into submission. There is a relentlessness about Anderson when he gets going, and he looks impossible to beat at times. If Jonny Clayton had drawn anyone else outside of Anderson or van Gerwen I’d be putting money on him to go deep, but such is life.

Regardless of results, these are magical times to be a darts fan. The 2018 PDC World Grand Prix will almost certainly be a tournament to remember, even if it ends in the most predictable fashion. Van Gerwen and Mensur to meet in the final? It may well happen, but don’t be surprised if we get something like Joe Cullen vs. Ian White instead. Either way, it will be magic.

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