Red Dragon at the Masters
The world’s elite return to the stage almost a month after Peter Wright was crowned World Champion for the 2022 Ladbrokes Masters.
This event sees the top 24 ranked players in the world face off for the first time since the World Championships, with some big names looking to return to winning ways.
Reigning champion Jonny Clayton, will face off against the winner of Ian White and Dimitri van den Bergh in his opening game.
World Number 1 Gerwyn Price is on a collision course with countryman Jonny Clayton, due to their respective seedings. But up first for the Iceman is last year’s runner-up Mervyn King or Ryan Searle.
Newly crowned World Champion Peter Wright, will be hoping history can repeat itself. The 2020 Masters winner, lifted his first crown in Milton Keynes a month after winning his first World title. Adding a second Masters, just weeks after becoming a double World Champion, will be high up on Snakebite’s to-do list for the new year. His first game will be against Dirk van Duijvenbode or Simon Whitlock, who comes in late to replace Danny Noppert.
Meanwhile, Luke Humphries is making his Masters debut with everything to play for. Cool Hand Luke made his third World Championship Quarter-Final in four years, and following a stellar 2021, a good run in Milton Keynes could put see earn himself a place in the Premier League, just as Jonny Clayton did last year.
Luke will open his Masters career against Nathan Aspinall, with the reward for a win being a clash with 5-time Masters champion Michael van Gerwen in Round 2.
Friday's opening night sees a mouth-watering 8 games take place, as players look to book themselves a place in the second round. Including Luke Humphries taking on Nathan Aspinall in arguably the tie of the round.
Round 2 will run across a double session on Saturday, with four games in both the afternoon and the evening.
The line-up for the evening session has no less than 6 PDC World Championships and 7 Masters titles between them, as the World’s Numbers 1, 2 and 3 all roar into life.
Sunday will see the Quarter Finals in the afternoon, with the final four playing of for the crown come the evening.
Who will be Masters champion come Monday morning?