01/02/2020

The Masters 2020 preview and schedule: Saturday February 1

One day of the new PDC season is done, and the Masters is already providing some high-level drama.

The quality didn't hit its usual heights - unsurprising really, as most players have literally been on the beach in recent weeks. That rustiness can be a leveller, and so it proved on Friday. Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall scrapped their way through with a degree of comfort. 2018 world champion Rob Cross stumbled, losing to Adrian Lewis. 2019 world champion Michael van Gerwen suffered a first Masters defeat in five years, with Jonny Clayton causing a shock.

So, how will the 2020 PDC world champion get on?

Anderson on the up

First, though, there are two ties which are pretty hard to call. Daryl Gurney and Dave Chisnall both fit a similar profile; great scorers, capable of big averages, occasionally short on composure at the finish line. Neither had a horrible World Championship (Chisnall, in particular, was unfortunate to run into a rampaging Jeffrey de Zwaan). But neither were able to make the sort of mark they'd have wanted to - they'll both want the Masters to mark a strong start to 2020, and with a couple of favourites already gone, the trophy is there for the taking.

Van Gerwen and James Wade departing means that there will definitely be a first-time Masters champion. Why not Gary Anderson? He's won just about everything else. A runner-up two years ago, the Scot will fancy himself to win. Anderson had a muted 2019 due to injury, but with those afflictions starting to clear, the Flying Scotsman could be heading back to his best. Ian White's 2019 was one of upward trajectory, and this is another chance to show he can beat big players on the big stage.

The Masters 2020 preview and schedule: Saturday February 1 — Photo: Lawrence Lustig/PDC

The champion returns

Peter Wright returns to action for the first time since winning his first world title in an emotional Alexandra Palace triumph. He's now the favourite to win the Masters, but the emotional and physical cooling off period after that World Championship win will mean we may not see peak Snakebite. Joe Cullen's the sort of player who can punish any lapses; he did so against Rob Cross on debut last year. Cullen won his first stage title last year - there's absolutely no reason why he can't grab a second here, and firmly put another World Championship disappointment behind him.

In a sort of twisted ode to 'Brexit Day', the two Europeans playing in the Masters were both dumped out on Friday. Now it's Great Britain and Northern Ireland versus Simon Whitlock. The Wizard gets a crack at revenge, too; he'll play the man who ended his World Championship run. Gerwyn Price was seething with his own exit from the PDC's flagship event. Now at its curtain-raiser, the Welshman will want to go all the way to start the new season in style. A double Masters win and a Six Nations triumph over Italy would make the Welsh contingent a very happy bunch.