Ladbrokes World Darts Championships.

Forget the chatter about so many shopping days to Christmas. We are not even religious about an exact day that our Christmas decorations go up. Yes the kids have their toys and enough chocolate to gauge themselves with but for the adults of the Hillier household, Christmas is here when one event kicks off.

That's right folks the Darts World Championships starts next thursday night and provides much entertainment over the festive period. Made all the more fitting last year when all around us was covered in snow. An outstanding 2011 tournament saw Phil Taylor not win a 16th World title but saw his apprentice Adrian Lewis win his first World title in an amazing exhibition of scoring to beat Gary Anderson.

The first round draw has thrown up some interesting match ups. There is a battle of Welshman seeing Mark Webster take on Richie Burnett, Steve Beaton meets Magnus Caris, the worlds quickest player Vincent van der Voort faces Mark Hilton, Raymond van Barneveld has debutant James Richardson, Kevin Painter faces the youngster Aaron Monk, Colin Lloyd will take on USA's Darin Young, Colin Osborne against Michael van Gerwen is arguably the tie of the round and Mark Dudbridge will face Dave Chisnall. The seeded players in those games will want to avoid a pre Christmas exit. But that won't be easy.


So beyond those matches who are the favourites and who can they face.


Phil Taylor

Taylor starts with the winner of a qualifying match between Muramatsu and Nilsson. He should win that. He then moves on to Dudbridge or Chisnall where the level will step up. Over this format he should still have enough. Potential opponents after that could be Vincent van der Voort, Mark Hilton or Andy Hamilton.


Adrian Lewis

Starts with a potential banana skin in Nigel Heydon. He is one of the tougher guys to get out of his zone when he is flowing and Lewis will have to concentrate to the end. He should win though. Then Lewis could meet Robert Thornton or Iain White. Their match will be a slog but again I think Lewis will get through that encounter. Realistically his next opponent would most likely be Wayne Jones, Jamie Caven or Roland Scholten.


James Wade

Will start against the winner of a qualifier between Laursen and Korte. Wade's next opponent would be Peter Wright or Jelle Klaasen. Both good players but not in Wade's class if he is at his best. Next opponent potentially could be Ronnie Baxter or Steve Palmer, or Dennis Ovens.


Gary Anderson

Anderson starts with Jyhan Artut and although he has some good results, Anderson should win that. Andersons second match will see him face the winner of the Steve Brown v Petersen/de Sousa conundrum. Colin Lloyd, Darin Young or Andy Smith are trickier tests awaiting Anderson in the next round. He will need to perform to get past whoever.


Those four are all expected to reach the quarter final stage and all of them should make it.


As the quarter finals are to be decided at this point it is pointless me forecasting but as soon as the draw takes shape I will fill in from the quarter finals onwards.


My tip for the tournament. Other than sit back, grab a beer and relax. Phil Taylor to win of course.