"I don't think his best now would be able to cope with Littler or Humphries" - Wayne Mardle doubts Michael van Gerwen's World Darts Championship hopes

The recent darting season has seen plenty of surprising major winners such as Ritchie Edhouse and Mike De Decker. Could this trend continue at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship? Or will the big names come to the fore?

"Reaching a World Championship semi-final - and I can say this with authority, I've done that five times - that compared to reaching a world final and winning it, it is like a tournament in itself," Mardle explains to The Mirror after being asked about the potential of a shock world champion. "You have to cope with it mentally and physically. Do you believe you can do it? Do you believe you are good enough? If the answer is yes, then you have to ask yourself what you need to do to get over the line. You ask all these questions to yourself."

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As Mardle notes, it's not always about a player's pure quality at the World Darts Championship either. "You can be good enough and come unstuck. James Wade has no doubt throughout the decades been good enough but has not made a final," he analyses. "But in the Worlds, you do get found out if you are not quite good enough. Down the line, you've had Kirk Shepherd who made a World Championship final. Andy Hamilton after that. But winning it is a different animal."

As such, 'Hawaii 501' doesn't expect the trend of surprising major winners to continue at the Alexandra Palace. "I don't see an outsider winning it. It's just different," Mardle assesses. "The format is so long. It tests you in ways that as a human being, some people don't know what the answer is. Those who have won a World Championship, I doff my hat to you."

Mardle reached five World Championship semifinals in his playing career

For most, the likely potential winner of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship is either Luke Humphries or Luke Littler. "If Littler would have beaten Humphries in the final of the Players Championship Finals, I'd have said Littler, because he came off the back of winning the Grand Slam as well," assesses Mardle. "But what has happened is that Humphries didn't play too great getting into the final of the Players Championship, then had his best game against Littler. When someone plays their best game, that means they are relaxed against you."

"So you've got Littler doing things that people are really not doing on the board, but you've got the world champ and world No.1 being able to deal with him, so it's a case of what is going to happen the next time they meet," he continues. "It's a shame that won't be in the final, they are due to meet in the semis, but right now I don't think any of them have the upper hand. If anyone has a worldie on the night, that's your winner. Standard wise, I don't think there is a lot to differentiate from each other."

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As for other contenders, Mardle is a little more reserved about the chances of players such as Michael van Gerwen and others. "I always quantify it like this: is he nearer the start of his career or nearer the end. Bear in mind that he was world No.1 in a different system when he was 17. He's now 35, so that is 18 years down the line. Do I think he's going to be better now or worse in 18 years? I think he's going to be worse, so he's nearer the end of his career," Mardle explains.

"Peter Wright is nearer the end, there's a few others who I think are. Michael van Gerwen has got to play near his best to win or even have a run in this event. When he played at his best in years gone by, he annihilated the field. I don't think his best now would maybe be able to cope with Littler or Humphries. Those two are in the other side of the draw. In Michael's side, I think Gary Anderson may be the one to come through that half," Mardle concludes. "Michael Smith is in that half. There's players in that side of the draw who are not playing well. Van Gerwen and Smith are ranked No.2 and No.3 in the world but are they playing better than Gary Anderson? I don't think they are and I think they know they are not. Anderson looks the most likely to me."

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