PDC Masters -January 31st- 2nd February 2020- Milton Keynes

[ssjsa]

2020 Ladbrokes Masters
Schedule of Play
Friday January 31 (1900 GMT)
First Round
Michael Smith v Mensur Suljovic
Nathan Aspinall v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton
Rob Cross v Adrian Lewis

Saturday February 1 (1900 GMT)
First Round
Daryl Gurney v Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson v Ian White
Peter Wright v Joe Cullen
Gerwyn Price v Simon Whitlock

Sunday February 2
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Cross/Lewis v Smith/Suljovic
Van Gerwen/Clayton v Aspinall/Wade
Price/Whitlock v Anderson/White
Wright/Cullen v Gurney/Chisnall

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final

Format
First Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs

[ssjsa]

New World Champion Peter Wright is the 9/2 second favourite to claim his first Ladbrokes Masters title next month, with reigning champion Michael van Gerwen the 11/10 pre-tournament favourite.

Wright claimed the Sid Waddell Trophy at Alexandra Palace on New Year's Day with a sensational performance to defeat Van Gerwen in the World Championship final.

The Scot goes into the new season's opening televised event at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, from January 31-February 2, as the 9/2 second favourite with title sponsors Ladbrokes.

Reigning Masters champion Van Gerwen is aiming to claim an unprecedented sixth successive triumph in the top 16 event, and is the 11/10 favourite ahead of his opening tie with Jonny Clayton on January 31.

Grand Slam of Darts champion Gerwyn Price is the 13/2 third favourite, ahead of Gary Anderson and Rob Cross (both 14/1) and the 16/1-rated pair of Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith.

Masters debutant Nathan Aspinall - the 2019 UK Open champion - is 20/1 to take victory in his first Milton Keynes appearance, while 2014 Masters winner James Wade is 50/1 to claim the title for a second time.

See the Ladbrokes Masters at the Marshall Arena from January 31-February 2 - a limited number of tickets are available.

The tournament will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, on PDCTV-HD for Rest of the World Subscribers and through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and RTL7.

2020 Ladbrokes Masters
Outright Winners
11/10 Michael van Gerwen
9/2 Peter Wright
13/2 Gerwyn Price
14/1 Gary Anderson, Rob Cross
16/1 Dave Chisnall, Michael Smith
20/1 Nathan Aspinall
33/1 Daryl Gurney, Mensur Suljovic, Ian White
50/1 James Wade
66/1 Adrian Lewis
100/1 Joe Cullen, Simon Whitlock
150/1 Jonny Clayton

First Round Match Odds
Friday January 31
8/15 Michael Smith v 6/4 Mensur Suljovic
4/6 Nathan Aspinall v 6/5 James Wade
1/9 Michael van Gerwen v 11/2 Jonny Clayton
1/2 Rob Cross v 8/5 Adrian Lewis

Saturday February 1
Evens Daryl Gurney v 4/5 Dave Chisnall
4/6 Gary Anderson v 6/5 Ian White
2/9 Peter Wright v 10/3 Joe Cullen
1/4 Gerwyn Price v 3/1 Simon Whitlock

[1205]

Most pointless and boring tournement if the year.

Only 4 things that somewhat make it intresting this year are....

Will Wright keep with his WC winning darts
Has Cross got his throw back as it was completely off at the worlds
Will MvG’s change of equipment make any significant difference
Will any other players gaurantee themselves a GSOD spot.

On a separate note how the hell do the bookies make White bigger favourites for the title than Wade or Lewis?

Because Wade is playing crap, and White is a better player than Lewis.

[Black Velvet]

Most pointless and boring tournement if the year.

Only 4 things that somewhat make it intresting this year are....

Will Wright keep with his WC winning darts
Has Cross got his throw back as it was completely off at the worlds
Will MvG’s change of equipment make any significant difference
Will any other players gaurantee themselves a GSOD spot.

On a separate note how the hell do the bookies make White bigger favourites for the title than Wade or Lewis?

Because Wade is playing crap, and White is a better player than Lewis.

Because Wade is playing crap
Correct

White is a better player than Lewis
On a forum that has oche balboa and David Owen, this is probably the most stupid thing I've ever read on it.

[Ginge]

One is a better stage player, the other is a better floor player. Given this is a stage competition.....

[fling]

Most pointless and boring tournement if the year.

Only 4 things that somewhat make it intresting this year are....

Will Wright keep with his WC winning darts
Has Cross got his throw back as it was completely off at the worlds
Will MvG’s change of equipment make any significant difference
Will any other players gaurantee themselves a GSOD spot.

On a separate note how the hell do the bookies make White bigger favourites for the title than Wade or Lewis?

Because Wade is playing crap, and White is a better player than Lewis.

Because Wade is playing crap
Correct

White is a better player than Lewis
On a forum that has oche balboa and David Owen, this is probably the most stupid thing I've ever read on it.

I know that’s right up their. How is a person who has never won a major a better player than a two time world champion

In the same context would you say that major winner and non tour card holder Paul Nicholson is a better player than non major winner Dave Chisnall.

[Black Velvet]

Not really.

[only85]

Yes & it’s back to simple leg play for the pdc aficionados to enjoy, I think this tournament could be improved by doing how the bdo masters was run short sets, makes it different like the double start of other tournament

[1205]

Yes & it’s back to simple leg play for the pdc aficionados to enjoy, I think this tournament could be improved by doing how the bdo masters was run short sets, makes it different like the double start of other tournament

It's just a welcome back to the top 16. No need to make it complicated.
The Grand Slam would be the place to try short sets.

[Deleted User]

Probably had to close the balcony off and/or get the black curtain of shame from the Memo Arts Centre....

Those spelling mistakes......

Don't we have to check our poster for spelling?
- Nah, just publish it.

So you have not spotted it then?

Everyone knows 'Quater Finals' is the correct spelling as of 2020.

It should also be "fewer than 150 tickets remaining"

[Rout]

Yes & it’s back to simple leg play for the pdc aficionados to enjoy, I think this tournament could be improved by doing how the bdo masters was run short sets, makes it different like the double start of other tournament

It's just a welcome back to the top 16. No need to make it complicated.
The Grand Slam would be the place to try short sets.

I've always thought that. The group stages are perfect for best of 3 legs per set with best of 3 sets for the match.

[oche balboa]

White at the moment is better then Lewis

[ssjsa]

Looking forward to the first PDC tournament of the year, and whilst I do, to an extent agree that it is one of the least attractive PDC events, holds great memories for me. Previously was held in Edinburgh and I attended every one of them. Met Ando, Snakebite and Pipe amongst others during my stays at the Hilton, which was just across from the venue at Ingleston. All the players were booked in there, and will never forget the Wade vs King final, when James came back from 9-2 down to win 11-10.

[ILAD]

Looking forward to the first PDC tournament of the year, and whilst I do, to an extent agree that it is one of the least attractive PDC events, holds great memories for me. Previously was held in Edinburgh and I attended every one of them. Met Ando, Snakebite and Pipe amongst others during my stays at the Hilton, which was just across from the venue at Ingleston. All the players were booked in there, and will never forget the Wade vs King final, when James came back from 9-2 down to win 11-10.

Your stalking knows no bounds.

[1205]

Most pointless and boring tournement if the year.

Only 4 things that somewhat make it intresting this year are....

Will Wright keep with his WC winning darts
Has Cross got his throw back as it was completely off at the worlds
Will MvG’s change of equipment make any significant difference
Will any other players gaurantee themselves a GSOD spot.

On a separate note how the hell do the bookies make White bigger favourites for the title than Wade or Lewis?

Because Wade is playing crap, and White is a better player than Lewis.

Because Wade is playing crap
Correct

White is a better player than Lewis
On a forum that has oche balboa and David Owen, this is probably the most stupid thing I've ever read on it.

I know that’s right up their. How is a person who has never won a major a better player than a two time world champion

So van Barneveld's a better player than White as well?
Part won two World Championships, so obviously he's way better.
And Bristow's an even better player.

[Black Velvet]

Bristow is dead mate.

[ssjsa]

Nathan Aspinall is taking confidence from being touted as one of the front-runners in TV events ahead of his Ladbrokes Masters debut this weekend.

Aspinall continued his meteoric rise by reaching the World Championship semi-finals for a second consecutive year in December, having won the UK Open and US Darts Masters in a memorable 2019.

The 28-year-old's success over the last 18 months has seen him fly up to eighth place on the PDC Order of Merit, and Aspinall is out to further cement his place among the sport's elite this year.

"I'm going into this tournament as one of the favourites to win it so you have to take confidence from that," said Aspinall, who also reached the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix on debut.

"All year I've been going into tournaments as quite a high seed so I take confidence from that and believe in myself so I'll be looking to prove why I'm world number eight.

"I was really happy with how the World Championship went, I came through some really tight games.

"I was a bit disappointed with my performance against Michael [van Gerwen], I think he was there for the taking that night but maybe nerves got the better of me and that's something I'm trying to put right.

"I proved to any doubters out there that I do belong among the elite players and last year wasn't a one-off."

Having enjoyed some downtime with family in Lanzarote, Aspinall revealed he has been practicing hard for the last ten days ahead of his return to the big stage.

Awaiting the Stockport man in round one on Friday will be 2014 Masters winner James Wade, one of two players to drop out of the Premier League at the expense of Aspinall and Glen Durrant.

"The last three weeks seem to have taken forever so I'm itching to get back into it now," Aspinall admitted.

"I've played James many times, he's beaten me and I've beaten him but I don't think I've played him in over a year.

"He's probably ahead of me on the head-to-head stats but I'm a different animal now to what I was 12 months ago.

"It's a game I'm looking forward to playing and hopefully I get 2020 off to a winning start."

The 2020 Ladbrokes Masters will be held from January 31-February 2 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes with the new-look top 16 following the World Championship returning to the big stage.

[ssjsa]

Looking forward to the first PDC tournament of the year, and whilst I do, to an extent agree that it is one of the least attractive PDC events, holds great memories for me. Previously was held in Edinburgh and I attended every one of them. Met Ando, Snakebite and Pipe amongst others during my stays at the Hilton, which was just across from the venue at Ingleston. All the players were booked in there, and will never forget the Wade vs King final, when James came back from 9-2 down to win 11-10.

Your stalking knows no bounds.

True story which I posted on here previously. Met Peter Wright and his family in the bar at the Hilton, having a beer or two before going to the evening session. Snakebite had been knocked out in the afternoon session, but despite his obvious disappointing was brilliant and him and Jo chatted away to our party for over an hour. Peter posed for photographs with every one of us, and when I was on the phone speaking to my daughter and telling her I was having a few beers with Peter Wright, she didn't believe me, so Peter asked for my phone and chatted to her for 5 minutes. She met Peter in Blackpool a couple of years later, and I reminded him of the call. Peter and Jo are 2 of the nicest people I have met on the circuit.

[Black Velvet]

Yeah Wright is a lovely bloke.

[JOEY]

Anybody going to this?