PDC World Championship Preview - Day 4, Evening Session

All through the opening stages of the PDC World Championship, the same questions have been asked. "Where's Ian White?". "When will we get to see Ian White?". Well, never fear. Everyone's favourite dabbing Diamond kicks off his World Championship campaign tonight. Elsewhere in the evening session on day four, there's a seriously tight tussle which could see the ninth seed drop out and an ever-present in James Wade starting off what he hopes could be a good run.

We didn't get the chance to see too many of the preliminary competitors qualify on the big screen. But the North American Championship qualifier, just before the World Series event in Las Vegas, was broadcast on ITV. That means Willard Bruguier, a police officer from South Dakota, already has some big stage experience.
Cody Harris' PDC major experience comes from the 2016 World Cup of Darts, but he has been widely tipped to make more than a few appearances at the Ally Pally by the time he hangs up his darts. This is the biggest stage of all, and could either be a leveller or make one of the pair discover a winning habit that could later put Ian White under pressure.

Three-time semi-finalist and major ever-present James Wade may be going into the World Championships with the very conservative goal of keeping his Premier League place. The Machine has not been his well-oiled best in 2017, allowing the likes of Rob Cross, Mensur Suljovic and even Gerwyn Price to pass him by. Since losing to Peter Wright in the quarter-finals at the Ally Pally last year, Wade has been dumped out in the first round at the World Matchplay, the Masters and the World Grand Prix. That said, he could not have asked for many easier first round ties - on paper, at least. Keegan Brown was once billed as the future of darts, but that seems to have passed him by. The 2014 World Youth champion has barely made a dent on the Tour this year. When he rocked up at the Players Championship finals, Jermaine Wattimena blitzed him with a whitewash win. If Brown can resurrect the magic that helped him see off John Part in the 2015 World Championships, Wade might feel the pressure. If not, setting up a tie against Zoran Lerchbacher should be easy enough.

The fact this is even a possible first round tie tells you two things. Firstly, the quality of the field is so deep that the unseeded players are a major threat to the seeds. It also intimates that Vincent van der Voort hasn't had the best of years. The Dutch Destroyer almost retired after defeat to Max Hopp at the Ally Pally last year, and it isn't completely off the table. Yet the fast-flinging van der Voort has plenty of quality, plus the experience of reaching two World Championship quarter-finals.
Dave Chisnall will have to be wary. Like Wade, his Premier League place has gone from secure to in major doubt. Chizzy's potential opponents should he beat van der Voort are Steve Beaton, Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen. It doesn't suggest a fine run is in the offing. Chisnall and van der Voort are both big maximum hitters but can struggle on the doubles. This could either be a scintillating, dramatic tie, or a bit of a painful watch.

What can Ian White manage this year? The Stoke thrower managed a run to the last 16 in the 2017 Championships, but fell short against Peter Wright. He'll be looking at his potential last 16 opponent this time - Michael van Gerwen - and resolving to improve his Order of Merit ranking ahead of next year's event. The UK Open quarter-finalist has the quality, but needs to show the quality in majors that he often exhibits on the floor. White cannot afford to underestimate Bruguier or Harris, but fans should expect to see the Diamond Dab more than once in this tournament.