World Grand Prix 2020 preview and schedule: Sunday October 11, featuring Whitlock vs Van Duijvenbode and Price vs Chisnall

Well, well, well. In a year of surprises, the World Grand Prix has thrown out a few more for us.

The semi-finals won't feature seven of the eight seeds. Michael van Gerwen was booted out in the quarter-finals; the rest went well before that. Gerwyn Price is the last of the seeds, and the last of this quartet who has tasted major glory before. Simon Whitlock and Dave Chisnall have been in this position before, but for Dirk van Duijvenbode, it's the first time he's even had a sniff of a TV semi-final. The World Grand Prix hasn't been predictable so far, so don't assume it'll start now.

How to watch the 2020 World Grand Prix live

Can the Aubergenius outsmart Whitlock?

The first semi-final is that classic tale; the one of the aubergine farmer taking on the man who didn't even qualify for the tournament. 2020, am I right?

To win a major title, you need to have a mix of luck, mental acuity and a bucketload of skill. Dirk van Duijvenbode had fortune on his side in an absolute stinker of a game against Mensur Suljovic. When Dimitri van den Bergh stood in his way, Van Duijvenbode had the fortitude and bottle to see him off.

And against Gary Anderson, the Dutchman showed off all his skill - with a couple of those other factors mixed in. When Anderson grabbed the third set, Van Duijvenbode recoiled. There was a real fear that he'd go the way of Ryan Joyce and Joe Cullen, overcome by a world class opponent. But the Titan stayed cool, and finished the game off in style. Doubling in was where he won it - between sets two and three, he played nine legs, threw ten darts at the opening double, and missed just one.

In Simon Whitlock, Van Duijvenbode meets the tournament's form player. The Aussie is the first ever player not called Michael van Gerwen or Phil Taylor to average over 100 in a best-of-five World Grand Prix game. He's also part of a select group to have managed two ton-plus averages in one Grand Prix.

It normally takes something special to beat Michael van Gerwen, and that certainly happened here. Whitlock was better than MVG by a long way when kicking off the leg, and better than the stuttering Dutchman on the finishes too. He looks like someone who knows that every match he plays in Coventry is a bonus. Now the opportunity's here, Whitlock will be primed to make the very most of it, and win the tournament he'll feel he should've won three years ago.

This is, in essence, a free hit between two players with nothing to lose and so much to gain. If they remember that and shake off the nerves, this could be explosive.

Whitlock smashes defending World Grand Prix champion Van Gerwen in phenomenal victory

Chizzy seeks retribution; Price targets another major

In a tournament rife with drama, Gerwyn Price has treated the whole thing like a Sunday stroll. This Sunday, he won't get one.

The story so far for the Welshman isn't one of massive averages or superlative double-striking. It's been one of prolific competence, sprinkled with touches of genius. Even the standard Price roaring and adrenaline-soaked fist-pumping has been saved for special occasions, such as the winning dart to sink Jeffrey de Zwaan.

There's a lot more to come from the third seed, and now is the perfect time to go up a gear. Having won the Grand Slam of Darts twice without too much success in the other big TV events (unless you count the World Series Finals, which he won last month), this is a big opportunity to expand his winning portfolio. So far, he's dropped just a single set. Price would give anything for another smooth ride.

If he does take a commanding lead, it won't mean a thing - not to Dave Chisnall, anyway. After crushing Glen Durrant with one of the best first-round performances ever seen at the World Grand Prix, Chizzy looked a safe bet to get to this stage or further. His chances have suffered a blow twice: first against Ryan Joyce, and then against Joe Cullen in the quarter-finals. Twice, he's turned 2-0 deficits into victories.

When any darts player will tell you that between 90-95 per cent of the key to success is mental strength, Chisnall's back-to-back bouncebacks tells you an awful lot about his capacity to succeed. He has the toughest draw of anyone in this final four, certainly. But if he wins, it won't be like last year, when he was the clear underdog in the final. Chisnall will be the favourite, and maybe this will be the time he finally gets that elusive first major. Falling behind probably isn't the best strategy this time around, however.