Michael van Gerwen is out of the World Championship but other big names will battle for the title
Friday 1 January 2016 10:19, UK
After Michael van Gerwen's shock exit, Rod Studd picks out five potential winners from the remaining contenders at the World Darts Championship.
World No 1 Van Gerwen was knocked out at the last-16 stage following a thrilling 4-3 defeat by Raymond van Barneveld at Alexandra Palace.
But defending champion Gary Anderson, 16-time winner Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis are still part of a high-quality field in the capital...
Gary Anderson
After the departure of Van Gerwen, the title holder is now the favourite to retain the trophy and has been in supreme form. He's had three match averages of around 100 and only lost one leg to Vincent van der Voort last night.
Gary Anderson really has been the form man of the tournament over the three matches. People say how difficult it is to retain your title after winning it for the first time.
Only three players have ever done that before, which was Eric Bristow, Van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis. He's looking to move into an elite club and the way Anderson is playing at the moment, you would have to say that he's got every chance of doing it.
Phil Taylor
He has been a mystery in this tournament, a total enigma. You just wouldn't know what to make of his opening two matches. The first game against Keita Ono, he changed his darts and was very,very inconsistent at the oche. He won very comfortably, but it was more questions than answered.
He then went back to his old equipment for the second game and won again with a much higher average, but it was a strange game against Kevin Painter. He played quite well in the last two sets, but before that he was missing a raft of doubles. The feeling was that if he was playing an elite player, then he would have been on his way home.
With Van Gerwen out of the tournament, however, Taylor must think this is his big chance of winning a world title for the 17th time. The door is open for him, because I'm sure the one player he really feared was Van Gerwen. He's got a terrific chance, despite those inconsistencies, to extend this incredible record in the tournament. Write him off at your peril.
Adrian Lewis
A two-time champion, Lewis always plays his best darts at the World Championship. Only Phil Taylor has won more games on this stage than Lewis since we moved to Alexandra Palace in 2008. That's the class of the man. Sometimes he does not seem at his most intense, most focused in other tournaments, but his attention is firmly on the world title and he's raced through three rounds without losing a set.
I actually liked the look of Lewis at the start of the tournament. He's in the same half of the draw as Van Gerwen, who is now out, which obviously gives him a much better chance. A very tough quarter-final will come up for Adrian against Peter Wright or Dave Chisnall, but nevertheless you would make him favourite in the top half and he knows how to get the job done in these big finals.
He's a very good bet to make it three world crowns and would join an elite group of players who have achieved that feat.
Raymond van Barneveld
It really was like the Rocky Balboa story last night against Van Gerwen. The old champion, who had slid down the rankings, maybe having one last chance at world title glory against the unbeatable No 1. He produced the most magical, memorable moments in the tournament so far, beating Van Gerwen 4-3 in the most extraordinary match which was unrelenting and unforgettable in it's excellence.
Can he go on with it? That's the key question, because he's had two really tough games against Michael and Stephen Bunting in the previous round. How much has he got left in the tank for a quarter-final against Michael Smith?
There will not be a dry eye in the house if Raymond wins a sixth World Darts Championship, I can tell you that.
Michael Smith
Smith for so long has been the player who has promised the world but delivered an Atlas. That is pretty unfair on Michael, because it was never him who said he was going to win everything. He's never opened his mouth and is not that kind of guy.
After being billed as the next big thing, he has found it very hard to fulfill that promise, because it's a huge heap of pressure on a man in his early 20s. But in the last year or so, he's really matured both on and off the oche. He's got a young family now and I've just seen signs of real maturity in his game.
He hit a dozen maximums against Benito van de Pas in an absolute darting demolition job. I think he's a real threat, because he's playing with no fear whatsoever and will really fancy his chances with Van Gerwen out.
Best of the rest...
Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall is an absolutely fantastic tie in the last 16. Chisnall has played pretty much the darts of the tournament, without actually attracting much attention. He's been very authoritative, scored heavily, and had no trouble with his doubles.
Live World Darts Championship
We've talked about Van Barneveld's renaissance, but Mark Webster is enjoying one of his own. He's been through a horrendous crisis of confidence and completely lost his throwing action. It's absolutely wonderful to see Mark playing so well again, fighting his way back into the top echelons of the game.
This has been a typical James Wade tournament in many ways. He doesn't feel the desire to be a flash Harry, pile up 110 averages and say: 'Look at me'. He just plays the player and does enough to beat his opponent. He's still looking good in my opinion and it will be a tough ask for Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals.
Watch day 12 at the World Darts Championship from 7pm on Sky Sports 3.
