2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Preview

The 2022 Grand Slam of Darts is a different sort of tournament on the calendar. The qualification process is a bit of a dog’s dinner but the idea is that tournament winners and runners up qualify and are joined by 8 players who came through a qualifying tournament last weekend.

They are further joined by the finalists of the 2021 World Youth Championship, the winners of the 2022 Challenge and Development tours, the Women’s World Matchplay Champion, winner of Women’s Series OOM and the winners of the PDC North American Championship and PDC Asia Championship.

Field Of 32

This eventually adds up to a field of 32 players who are placed into four pools and from those four pools, eight groups of four players are drawn. One of the eight top ranked players are allocated to each group with the other three players drawn at random, one each from pool B, C and D.

These groups are then played in a round robin format in very short best of nine leg matches. The top two players then go through to the knockout phase to establish the winner, who will pick up £150000. It is a total prize pool of £650000 and it is a ranking event. It is a big deal, despite not having the strongest line up of the ranking majors.

All PDC Event

Only 15 of the top 20 ranked players are taking part and there is no James Wade, Gary Anderson, Jose de Sousa, Dimitri van den Bergh or Krzysztof Ratajski. There are four players without a tour card in the field, Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, Christian Perez and Leonard Gates. There are no WDF representatives in the field this year and it is now a purely PDC event.

The last ten Grand Slam of Darts have produced just five different winners, Raymond van Barneveld, Phil Taylor (2), Michael van Gerwen (3), Jose de Sousa and Gerwyn Price (3). Other players with a good tournament record in recent years are Peter Wright, three times a runner up, and Michael Smith, twice a beaten semi-finalist.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group A

Gerwyn Price is the number 1 seed, and he is the seeded player in this group. His tournament record speaks for itself. He has played in six, won three and only failed to get out of the group stage once. He warmed up in perfect fashion by winning PC29 last Friday and took the next day off. Half of his last ten matches have seen ton plus averages and he is playing somewhere near his best. The number 1 seed has won five of the last ten Grand Slams. Hard to oppose.

Price is joined in Group A by Dave Chisnall, former champion Raymond van Barneveld and Youth World Champion Ted Evetts. Chizzy is having a good season, winning a Euro Tour title and a player’s championship. Arguably, given the standard of his play, he should have won more, but he has found winning titles difficult in the last few years.

His first major title remains elusive and in nine appearances in this event he has only gone beyond the second round twice. With a seasonal win rate of nearly 73%, he should have a decent run but winning the title is likely to be a step too far.

Barney Has Experience

Barney came through the qualifying tournament last Sunday and has won eight of his last ten matches. He doesn’t have the scoring power of Price or Chisnall, but he has plenty of experience. He has played in 13 Grand Slams, winning the title in 2012. He failed to get beyond the group stage in his last two, but a recent win against Price tells us that he still poses a threat, especially in a first to five legs match.

Ted Evetts has a great record at junior level, winning 13 Development Tour titles and the World Youth Championship, but he has struggled at senior level. He made a players championship semi-final this year, but that is not a great return on his talent. Superted has lost six of his last ten matches and it is unlikely that he will progress to the knockout stage.

The group winner should be between Price and Chisnall and both should progress to the knockout phase. Price gets the nod as he has topped his group five times from six.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group B

Danny Noppert has improved so much in 2022 that he is now one of the seeds. His tournament record isn’t great having played in three, the last in 2019, and he only made it to one knockout stage match, back in 2016 but he lost his second round match. His recent form sees six wins from his last ten matches and overall in 2022 his win rate is 71%.

In the first five of the ranking majors this season he has won the UK Open, semi-finalist in the World Matchplay and quarter finalist at the European Championships. He wins plenty of matches and is likely to have another good run. He is starting to get a habit of losing in the latter stages of tournaments, but he is giving himself plenty of chances to win titles.

Good Draw

It looks like a good draw for Noppert as the other three players in his group are Simon Whitlock, Mensur Suljovic and Christian Perez. PDC Asian Champion Perez has played in a World Cup and two World Championships but the last was back in 2012. He averaged 85 in the Asian Championship, so winning a match will be an achievement.

Simon Whitlock qualified for being half of the World Cup winning Australian team. The Wizard might be slipping down the rankings but he remains a proper competitor and will be giving it 100% effort. He has lost five of his last ten matches and half of those last ten matches saw sub 90 averages. He is not without a chance of making the knockout phase, but his inconsistency rules out a long run despite his last two appearances yielding a semi-final and quarter final.

Mensur Suljovic has re-emerged from semi-retirement in recent months and has played OK. His A game is still decent, he has won six of his last ten matches, he has reached a semi-final in this event in the past, but his scoring is now only average.

Noppert should be able to win the group and the Whitlock vs. Suljovic match should decide who comes second.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group C

Michael Smith is once again trying to bounce back from losing another major final. He didn’t do a lot wrong in the European Championship final, just lost to the better player on the day. On the positive side, he is used to taking the hard knocks, but he remains hard to get fully behind in majors as he is getting used to losing. He has been runner up in three majors in 2022, the World Championship, UK Open and European Championships. If you do back him, make sure its each way.

Smith has a good record of winning his group and he looks likely to do it again. The other players in the group are Joe Cullen, Ritchie Edhouse and Lisa Ashton. Cullen has had a good year, winning more money than ever before, but his win rate is down on the last two years, and he has dropped 1.5 points on his seasonal average. He has won six of his last ten matches and is scoring quite well, if a little inconsistent. He has only played in two previous Grand Slams with a second round defeat his best result.

Journeyman

Edhouse is one of the journeymen who made it through the qualifying tournament. He has won seven of his last ten matches and his A game is decent, but his seasonal average is just 91.9 which won’t get him too far. Not surprisingly, this will be his Grand Slam debut.

Lisa Ashton has played in the last three Grand Slams but has never got beyond the group stage and never won a match.

Smith should top the group with Cullen second.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group D

Rob Cross is becoming frustrating to follow in the big ones. He reached the fourth round at the World Championships but lost his opening match at the UK Open, lost in the second round at the World Matchplay, the first round of the World Grand Prix and the first round of the European Championships.

Voltage has done well on the floor and reached three Euro Tour finals but lost the lot and he is getting a bit win shy in majors. He has lost four of his last ten matches and is blowing hot and cold. Cross has never failed to make the play off stages in this event but has failed to get beyond the quarter finals in five appearances.

Heavy Hitter

Dirk van Duijvenbode is one of the heavy hitters in the game. Nobody hits more 180s and half his last ten matches have seen him averaging over 100. He still lost four of his last ten and that is the one slight weakness in him, just not converting his firepower into as many titles as it should. The game is there, but mentally he may not be the strongest.

Martin Schindler is an interesting competitor. His A game is right up there with the best, he has won eight of his last ten matches, reaching a quarter and semi-final in the players championships at the weekend. He has been taking some big scalps but still hasn’t got a win at senior level. He has also failed to get beyond the group stage in three previous attempts.

Adam Gawlas came through the qualifying tournament but hardly covered himself in glory, averaging just 84.5 across four matches. He has won six of his last ten matches but seven saw sub 90 averages.

This is a hard group to call. Cross and Van Duijvenbode should progress to the knockout stage, but Schindler could be a dark horse.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group E

Peter Wright has been runner up in this event in three of the last five years. He won his second World Championship at the start of the year and since then made the quarter final of the World Matchplay and European Championships, and the semi-final of the World Grand Prix.

He has lost five of his last ten matches, but his scoring remains consistently strong, however, there is something not quite right. His constant chopping and changing of darts mid-match is getting ridiculous and suggests that his confidence is not at its best.

Aspinall has a 2022 win rate of 71%, a career best, but has lost six of his last ten. He has played in three Grand Slams and gone out in the group stage twice. He has the ability to have a good run, but his recent form is not encouraging.

Second Season Syndrome

Alan Soutar is having a difficult second season on tour, but his form has been picking up more recently. He came through the qualifying tournament in fine style, hitting a couple of ton plus averages. He has won seven of his last ten matches and he’ll be feeling quite confident about his game.

Fallon Sherrock’s run of being the Golden Girl of Women’s darts looks to be over. Her seasonal average has dropped to 81.8, but she is able to raise her game on TV. She got invited to play in all of the World Series events but won just two matches.

Crowd On Her Side

Sherrock played in this last year and beat Mike de Decker and Gabriel Clemens to progress to the knockout stage where she beat Mensur Suljovic before losing her quarter final to Peter Wright. She does have the benefit of the crowd being on her side but that seems to be it at the moment.

Wright is the favourite to win the group but he has losing H2H records with both Soutar and Aspinall, so he has his work cut out, especially as he has been losing too many matches recently. Aspinall has lost more than Wright and you could argue that Soutar is the form player in the group. Aspinall vs. Soutar is the key match in the group.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group F

Jonny Clayton continues to have a barren 2022. He did pick up a World Series event down under but nothing of any great standing has come his way. He is a two-time quarter finalist in the this event and his weird record of being the King of the non-ranking events continues. In his last eight non-ranking TV events, he has won three, been runner up once and reached the semi-final in the other four.

When it comes to ranking majors, he has gone out early in the last three and it is hard to see him going all the way in this. Like Peter Wright, he remains a very consistent, heavy scorer but he has lost five of his last ten matches and four of his last five.

Heavy Scorer Heta

Damon Heta reached the quarter final on his only appearance in 2020. He is one of the heaviest scorers in the game, great on the outer ring and he is starting to win more tournaments, although not as many as he should. He has picked up two players championship titles and a euro tour title in 2022, along with the World Cup.

The next step is a major. He has the game to do it. He is the best double hitter in the game, has the third highest seasonal 3 dart average, 12th for 180s per leg and it is hard to find any weakness in his game. The Heat just needs to pick up a winning mentality.

Wattimena In Form

I may have to change my tactics when it comes to Wattimena. I habitually oppose him, profitably, as he is arguably the most overrated player in the game. However, he hit good form last weekend, reaching two players championship quarter finals and winning his four matches in the qualifier. Eight wins from his last ten matches and hitting some good numbers, Wattimena is in his best form, and he may well get through to the knockout stage.

Leonard Gates, the North American champion, averages 89.2 in 2022. He has picked up some stage experience in the World Series, winning matches against Devon Petersen and Fallon Sherrock, but this is a much stiffer task.

Jonny Clayton won’t be bothered by the draw, but he has got losing H2H records with both Wattimena and Heta. This is a far from straight forward group.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group G

Michael van Gerwen is another event specialist, having won three of the last eight Grand Slams and he has always reached at least the quarter finals of those last eight. He hasn’t won it since 2017 but after a majorless 2021, MVG has picked up the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and the unranked Premier League.

Between 2014 and 2019 Van Gerwen won 50% of the ranked majors. In the 19 ranking majors from 2020 onwards, he has won just 4 from 19 (21%). That is still a great strike rate, but he isn’t the same winning machine of his hay days. His recent form sees eight wins from his last ten and he should at least give you a run for your money.

European Champion

Ross Smith, fresh from winning the European Championship two weeks ago, has won eight of his last ten matches and in the last three weeks has wins over Anderson, Michael Smith (x2), Van den Bergh, Cullen, Wright, Dobey and Heta amongst others. His A game can beat anyone and it will be interesting to see if winning a major title elevates him to a new level. He has been a player with great potential but very streaky. Long run consistency is what makes an elite player, and we shall have to wait and see if he kicks on.

Luke Woodhouse came through the qualifying tournament, and he has been playing some good stuff recently. He has won seven of his last ten matches and when he is good, he is dangerous, but consistency is not his strong point.

Work In Progress

Nathan Rafferty is still work in progress, learning the ropes on his first year with a tour card. He has won five of his last ten matches and consistency is the last part of any young players game to develop. His A game can cause anyone problems but while he has won five development tour titles in 2022, having good runs at senior level has been harder. He made it through to the knockout stage here last year, so he will know what to expect this time round.

It would be a surprise if MVG didn’t win the group and Ross Smith didn’t join him in the knockout stage.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts: Group H

Luke Humphries has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022, picking up four Euro Tour titles. He is still relatively inexperienced compared to the likes of MVG and Wright and he has only reached one major ranking final, the 2021 UK Open. He has reached two major quarter finals this year, the World Championship and the European Championships.

Cool Hand has won seven of his last ten matches, hitting six ton plus averages. He has yet to get beyond the group stage in his previous two appearances, but he is an improving player and has the pedigree to win big events. Over the last 12 months, Humphries is ranked 4th for scoring, 4th for 180s per leg and 6th for checkout %, a powerful set of stats.

Struggling For Wins

Ryan Searle has failed to get beyond the group phase in his two previous appearances. His win rate in 2022 is just 58% compared to 70% in 2021 and while he is still a heavy scorer, he is struggling to get wins. He has lost six of his last ten matches and since the summer break he has played nineteen and won just seven, so it is not just a short term thing. He should be winning more matches, but he is in a bit of a rut.

Josh Rock had won five Development tour titles in 2022 before he added a players championship title to those by winning PC 28 three weeks ago. He has won seven of his last ten matches and hit five ton plus averages in that time. He is the hottest ticket in town and the 8th favourite to win the World Championship. The sky is the limit and for such a young and inexperienced player he is surprisingly consistent.

24 Ton Plus Averages

In his last 52 matches, not a single average was below 90, even at Development level, and 24 saw ton plus averages. His doubling was a weakness when he first got his tour card but in recent months, he has really upped that part of his game. In his last fifty matches, only three times has his checkout % dropped below 30%. He is now ranked 20th for checkout %, but that is across the whole year, more recently he will be up there with the likes of Heta and Aspinall at the top of the pile.

Scott Williams can also claim a breakthrough season as he has picked up four Challenge Tour titles in 2022 and one player’s championship, despite not having a tour card. He has a great A game but unlike Rock, not the consistency to go with it. Williams has lost five of his last ten matches and it is his lack of consistency which will make it hard to get beyond the group stage, but he can’t be ruled out of any match.

This has already been called this year’s group of death, but it would be a surprise if Humphries and Rock don’t progress to the knockout stage.

Ante Post Selections

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Tip: 2 points Michael Smith to win Group C @ 1.80 with Betvictor, Unibet

Smith has a very good record in the group stage of this event, winning six groups from eight appearances. Cullen is his only real threat here.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Tip: 1 point Danny Noppert to win Group B @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes

Noppert has got a good draw here and he should be able to take advantage.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Tip: 0.5 point Alan Soutar to win Group E @ 10.00 with Ladbrokes

Peter Wright is the big favourite here but his losing H2H record with Soutar and Aspinall is a worry, as is losing five of his last ten. If he does slip up, Soutar’s recent form suggests his odds are too big.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Tip: 2 points Gerwyn Price to win the Grand Slam @ 6.00 with Ladbrokes

This is his tournament, and he seems to have hit good form just at the right time.

2022 Grand Slam Of Darts Tip: 0.5 point e/w Damon Heta to win the Grand Slam @ 26.00 with Betfair

Taking a chance on the heavy scoring Aussie. His major record is poor, and he has lost in the first round of the last three, but he made the quarters in his first and only appearance in this. Hopefully the fact that you can lose a match but still win the tournament will help settle him in the opening matches. His game is too good not to have a real chance of winning majors.

-JamesPunt