Anderson flings monkey from his back just in time for World C’ships
Published:
Gary Anderson hadn’t won a darts event infront of the TV cameras since his Premier League triumph back in 2011, so when he rolled past Adrian Lewis to win this year’s Players Championship Finals it was telling that he managed to scratch the itch just before the big event of the year.
The Scot is in flying form, having won seven PDC ProTour events in the run up to the Players Championship and sealing the number one seed in the process.
His run to the final included seeing off Stephen Bunting and Phil Taylor before holding Lewis at arm’s length in the final to seal an 11-6 win.
Now that the problem of getting it done on telly is no longer an issue, Anderson’s 7/1 price to win the World Championship at Alexandra Palace looks far more appealing.
There are no more tournaments between now and the showpiece event of the darting calendar, meaning the Scot can ride a wave of confidence into London later in the month, while his competitors have nothing but the practice board to face in order to relocate their form.
Michael van Gerwen certainly falls into that category, having been dumped out of the Minehead event by Terry Jenkins in the second round.
This was the second time in three major tournament outings that the Dutchman has been shocked early on, after falling to Kim Huybrechts in the quarter final of the Grand Slam of Darts.
Heading to the World Championships, Van Gerwen’s title defence could hardly be built on flimsier foundations and, with Taylor also failing in Minehead, the time could be right for another new champion.
Darts’ great rivals, Taylor and Van Gerwen lead the World Championship pack at 2/1 and 5/2 respectively, but with the Stoke man only reaching the final once in the last four years backing Anderson at larger odds could pay this year.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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