World Darts Championship: Paul Nicholson on the atmosphere, schedule and his quarter predictions

The Asset played in eight editions of the sport's showpiece event at the Alexandra Palace from 2009 to 2019 and will again be injecting his expert insight into proceedings as a commentator and pundit for talkSPORT 2 over the next three weeks of Dartmas.

In his latest Sporting Life column of the year, Nicholson assesses the impact of the reduced crowd, the slightly different schedule and how the players feel about playing at this time of year. Then, of course, will be his predictions for each quarter of the draw...

Two tournaments in one

There were around 70 players in my first World Championship and back then if you won your first-round match, you knew you’d be in the ‘post-Christmas’ tournament. It therefore felt as if that match was a final and you could then relax before the whole thing started again on the 27th.

We all loved that concept, but since the event has expanded so much in recent years, the scheduling meant some seeded players would need to win two matches and others – who didn’t begin their campaign until very close to the Christmas break – would only require one win.

Now we have the old consistency back with the scheduling, with all first and second round games being played before Christmas and the third onwards being afterwards. That’s a lot fairer on every competitor, who can all mentally break it down into two different tournaments.

If Peter Wright wins on opening night, for example, he’ll then pack his bags, go home for Christmas and be able to put in even more hard preparation for the second half of the World Championship almost two weeks later.

From what I’ve been told, players will have the choice to leave the tournament bubble and go home after winning their matches, but if they do that then they’ll have to retest on their return.

A lot will depend on how far away you live and if they’re willing to take a calculated risk of not picking up Covid-19 while away from the bubble. Imagine testing negative on the first test, winning, going home, then testing positive on your next test?!

Christmas comes second

No darts player begrudges having to put their family Christmas plans up in the air due to the World Championship! I know that sounds really Scroogey or grinch like, but this is our Graceland.

Winning up on that stage makes all the sacrifices you’ve ever made worth it, especially with the money involved today.

There’s a lot of players who travel from all over the world for this potentially life and career changing opportunity, and some get here very early to prepare.

Haupai Puha of New Zealand, for example, has been in Europe since the World Cup while Australia’s James Bailey has been here several weeks to make sure he’s completely ready.

Even if you polled darts players and gave them the option to start the World Championship after Christmas – or have it taking place at the beginning of December and ending around the 23rd - they’d probably all say no apart from one or two.

In the pre-PDC days, everyone used to associate the World Championship with January, but now darts owns Christmas and virtually everyone involved in the sport embraces that.

In 2008 during my World Championship debut, I practiced all of Christmas Day. It was a case of “oh here’s a present, here’s some turkey – right where’s the practice board?! It was all about getting ready for my match with Adrian Lewis.

This is our time of year. Our Graceland, our Super Bowl, our Wrestlemania.

Stay sat if you love the darts

I think the atmosphere will be fairly sombre compared to other years but we’ve got to look at it from a glass is half full perspective. At least some fans will be there, and for how long we are not certain.

There’s alcohol involved and table service, so you can guarantee some fans will try to start a song at some point and good luck trying to stop them if they do it at the same time!

It’s always been hard to stop the jovial nature of the darts crowd and this tournament will provide a huge challenge.

The usual raucous atmosphere doesn’t put players off because it is a wall of white noise. They may say its nerve-wracking to start with during the walk on but then you can’t really hear a thing.

When there’s 50 people behind you at a European Tour event on a Friday, you can hear a sneeze fall and that’s a lot worse than constant white noise.

It’s hard to predict what the Ally Pally atmosphere will be like with a reduced capacity crowd of 1,000 not being able to make a harmonious racquet – but the players will need to be fully focused on the their games because noises will be heard.

Unpicking the draw

QUARTER ONE

I’ve looked at this section of the draw extensively and I struggle to see how Michael van Gerwen fails to reach the quarter-finals.

He’s coming into top form again, the long set-play format plays right into his hands and he shouldn’t have too many problems advancing to the last four.

There’s only one player I believe could potentially beat him before then and that’s Joe Cullen - but only if he finally feels comfortable at Ally Pally having only managed one win here in 10 years.

Looking at the bottom section you’ve got Dave Chisnall, Danny Noppert and World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh, who would seem the biggest threat but he’s up and down like a yoyo and very hard to back.

The tie of the quarter could well be Van den Bergh against Luke Humphries - if the latter can get past Paul Lim in his opener.

Luke has been playing very well recently and defeated Dimitri on this stage two years ago so this section of the draw could really open up for him again as he chases a third successive World Championship quarter-final.

To get there he may also have to face Jermaine Wattimena – which would be a mouth-watering repeat of their epic clash from 12 months ago, and their recent meeting at The Players Championship Finals.

Prediction: MVG to beat Luke Humphries

QUARTER TWO

This is a very tough quarter to call with the likes of Michael Smith, Gary Anderson, Mensur Suljovic, Rob Cross, Devon Petersen and Glen Durrant in the mix, but don’t overlook Damon Heta just because he’s not a seed.

He’s been playing exceptional darts over the past few months and has been a top 10 performer all season and won’t be afraid of anyone in the bottom section of this quarter – not even Durrant given his recent struggles.

In the top half, there’s uncertainty over Anderson’s fitness and he won’t like potentially coming up against Suljovic in round three, while Petersen’s levels have dropped off a little since the Winter Series after an otherwise fantastic year.

Michael Smith is looking very good and ready to mount another big run and if he faces Petersen in the third round then you can expect a 180 fest!

Bully Boy is defending £200,000 of ranking money so he’ll need to reach the final again if he’s to protect his position in the top four, and he will relish such a challenge as it will play into his wheelhouse.

Prediction: Michael Smith but Damon Heta to challenge strongly

QUARTER THREE

Everyone is going to look at this quarter and expect Peter Wright to come through it as the defending champion and based on how well he’s continued to play this season.

He may not have the pressure of defending a lot of ranking money having crashed out in the second round two years ago, but he does have the huge carrot of knowing that he could become world number one by the end of this tournament. And he wants that so badly.

I believe his biggest challenge in this quarter will be Simon Whitlock, who is a stupidly massive price to win the whole tournament when you consider how brilliantly he’s performed in the majors this season.

Not only does Whitlock love it at Ally Pally but he’s in a rich vein of confidence and will be a huge contender.

There’s a lot of dangerous players in this section like Krzysztof Ratajski, Stephen Bunting, Ian White and Gabriel Clemens but none of them have ever done it on this stage. Even James Wade has struggled to produce his best in this building.

Ratajski has gone off the boil recently and looked as though he was in need of a breather. Now that people aren’t talking about him as much as they were, it would be typical for him to come back and bulldoze a few people!

In the bottom half of this section, do not underestimate Ryan Searle. He’s a proper player who has gone up a level this year and will be more than a match for the likes of White and Wade.

• Prediction: Simon Whitlock to beat Ryan Searle

QUARTER FOUR

Gerwyn Price is the obvious favourite but there are players capable of defeating him in this quarter – not least Jose De Sousa in a potential fourth-round showdown.

De Sousa is now being put in a different window than he was before the Grand Slam of Darts having become a major champion and all of a sudden people are asking whether he could lift the biggest trophy of the lot.

He is in a very tough section and if he gets past the in-form Ross Smith (who has to beat Dave Evans) then he could come up against Players Championship Finals runner-up Mervyn King, who is on a high after having his best run in a major for many years and is enjoying his newly made darts.

That said King has an awful record at Ally Pally in recent times and I do think Price and De Sousa will be too strong in this top half.

In the bottom half, Nathan Aspinall could have his work cut out in his first match if it’s against Scott Waites, who is a set play master from his days in the Lakeside. Waites tends to comes alive and peak during the winter but he has a tough opener against Canadian World Cup star Matt Campbell.

The tie of the first round could well be Jeff Smith against rising star Keane Barry and the winner of that will give Chris Dobey a real run for his money.

Daryl Gurney is tumbling down the rankings and will have his work cut out against William O’Connor because he’s played some tremendous darts lately and I rate him in a big, big way.

It’s a very difficult section to predict and if Aspinall is to go and reach his third successive semi-final – or even further – then he’ll have to get down and dirty like in previous years. He’s not been playing as well as he was a few months ago but he does love the World Championship and knows how to fight in set play.

Vincent van der Voort could prove to be the spanner in the works, however, because he’s played well this season, has a wealth of experience and has also been practicing hard with Michael van Gerwen.

• Prediction: Gerwyn Price to beat Vincent van der Voort

Predicting the final

I’m predicting Michael van Gerwen will beat Michael Smith in the first semi-final, with Gerwyn Price joining him with victory over Simon Whitlock.

It’s a final many would love to see happen and based on many of their previous meetings, you can expect it to go right down to the wire.

If I’d made this prediction before the Players Championship Finals, I’d have probably steered clear of MVG but now it looks as though he’s got the bit between his teeth again and rediscovered his mojo.

When that happens, everyone needs to be pin point.

More World Championship previews

• 2021 World Darts draw and schedule
• Paul Nicholson's Ally Pally picks
• Carl Fletcher's Super Six Outsiders
• Carl Fletcher's Match Treble Masters
• James Cooper's Quarter masters
• Watch: All the World Championship nine-darters

More Paul Nicholson Content

• Stars of the season
• Wade Out of This, James
• New Tournament Ideas: Part Five
• New Tournament Ideas: Part Four
• New Tournament Ideas: Part Three
• New Tournament Ideas: Part Two
• New Tournament Ideas: Part One
• Global Darts
• Troubles and triumphs
• 'What If' moments in darts
• Agony of missed match darts
• The Premier League is back
• Good, Bad, Ugly: Nicholson on darts shirts
• Paul Nicholson: Referees in darts
• Paul Nicholson: World Matchplay review
• Paul Nicholson: Calling the shots in darts
• Paul Nicholson: Weird actions in darts
• Paul Nicholson: Hidden talents in darts
• Paul Nicholson: Superstitions in darts
• Paul Nicholson: Routes to glory
• Paul Nicholson: Online oches
• Paul Nicholson's five darts drills
• Paul Nicholson's five mental tips
• Paul Nicholson's five practice games
• Paul Nicholson: Five characters in darts
• Paul Nicholson: Best players never to win a major
• Paul Nicholson: Is online darts the future?
• Paul Nicholson: Column nine
• Paul Nicholson: Column eight
• Paul Nicholson: Column seven
• Paul Nicholson: Column six
• Paul Nicholson: Column five
• Paul Nicholson: Column four
• Paul Nicholson: Column three
• Paul Nicholson: Column two
• Paul Nicholson: Column one
• 2020 Premier League venues & dates
• 2020 PDC event calendar & results
• 2020 World Darts Championship results
• 2019 PDC event results
• Sky Bet's darts odds