22/11/2020

Grand Slam of Darts 2020 schedule: Sunday afternoon session, featuring first two Quarter-Finals

Well, well, well. Someone has just turned up the heat on the Grand Slam. And I just don't mean Damon Heta.

More on the Aussie sensation in just a bit. We'll have a different champion to the last couple of years, as Gerwyn Price has gone. Michael van Gerwen's looking good, Dimitri van den Bergh's looking better, and seven of the remaining eight could still win the Grand Slam title for the very first time.

How to watch 2020 Grand Slam of Darts live

And how sweet it would be for Michael Smith. The Bully Boy has often had his detractors, who point to a lack of "bottle" (whatever that really means) or a lack of major titles (which, to be fair, is much more tangible). In keeping his cool to win the deciding leg against Rob Cross with ease, he showcased plenty of nerve. There were some dips that need to be addressed if he's to keep up his title bid, however.

Jose de Sousa's win over Dave Chisnall was...weird. It was pure, wacky Jose-ness. If you didn't hurl your remote at the TV when the Portuguese laid up instead of going for the bull, with Chisnall on tops, you showed remarkable restraint. On the face of it, a 95 average and a win over a decent opponent is very nice indeed. But Smith won't be as woeful on the doubles as Chizzy was for much of this Grand Slam. We need to see a focused and sensible De Sousa here. Does he exist?

Prize Money breakdown for the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts with £550,000 on offer

The second quarter-final is a repeat of the first game of Group F. James Wade was much too good for Damon Heta that time around, averaging 102 and generally looking infallible. The Machine hasn't looked quite as good since, but had more than enough to dispose of Ian White.

Heta, meanwhile, is living the dream. If he somehow wins the Grand Slam, he can do what he said he will, and go back to Australia to "live the good life" if he wants. Or he'll keep living the helter-skelter life of a top darts player. You get the feeling that if he chose the latter route, you could see Heta becoming somewhat of the next Wade. This will be an intriguing side-by-side comparison, anyway.