The Grand Slam of Darts is one of the most exciting tournaments in the world of PDC darts and this year’s event did not disappoint. We saw the best run from a female competitor in the history of the event with Fallon Sherrock’s fairy-tale run, with some thrilling games along the way. There were also some fantastic runs from the likes of Michael Van Gerwen and Peter Wright. 

Grand Slam of Darts Roundup

There were some twists and turns in the Grand Slam this year with some incredible matches in the group stages, here is a rundown of all of the results. 

Group Stage (Best of 9 Legs)

Group A

  1. Gerwyn Price (1) – Last 16 
  2. Nathan Rafferty – Last 16
  3. Krzysztof Ratajski
  4. Martin Schindler

The Red Dragon man, Gerwyn Price zoomed through the group stage, topping the group with Nathan Rafferty picking up second place, putting them both through to the last 16. Ratajski was unlucky not to get through, having double trouble towards the end of his matches. Schindler was just  not able to get started quickly enough, landing him at the bottom of the group

Group B

  1. Jonny Clayton (8) – Last 16
  2. Bradley Brooks – Last 16
  3. Mervyn King
  4. Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

The Ferret had an outstanding being only one of three players to go unbeaten in the round robin stage. Bradley Brooks, a player that made his start in the JDC , took second spot to make his first Grand Slam last 16 appearance. The King was unlucky to miss out on a last 16 spot by missing crucial darts at key moments while Rusty-Jake Rodriguez had a tournament to forget, ending the group stage on 0 points, although the young player can take away from vital experience on the big stage.

Group C

  1. James Wade (4) – Last 16
  2. Rob Cross – Last 16
  3. Jim Williams
  4. Boris Krcmar

James Wade was once again in fine form, but not quite hitting the heights of some of his previous performances this year, still landing him a spot in the last 16. Rob Cross looked to be in fine form with some great matches sealing his place in the knockout stages. Jim Willians was extremely unfortunate to be out of the Grand Slam, with Rob Cross going through with +1 leg difference to Jim. Boris Krcmar couldn’t get going this year, leaving Wolverhampton on 0 points.

Group D

  1. Ryan Joyce – Last 16
  2. Rowby-John Rodriguez – Last 16
  3. Chris Dobey*
  4. Stephen Bunting

*Dobey stepped in for Dimitri Van den Bergh after Dimi tested positive for Covid-19.

Ryan Joyce proved once again why he is one of the best darts players on the big stage, with some great performances under pressure. Rowby-John Rodriguez, (Rusty-Jake’s older brother) showed some class, getting him into the last 16. Chris Dobey had some good opportunities but could not capitalise, ending his run in the Grand Slam. Most shockingly, the Target Darts man Stephen Bunting, World Championship Semi-Finalist, ended up at the bottom of Group D after a plethora of missed doubles.

Group E

  1. Peter Wright (2) – Last 16
  2. Fallon Sherrock – Last 16
  3. Gabriel Clemens
  4. Mike De Decker

Peter Wright came into this tournament saying he can win it and his group stage performances certainly looked the part, finishing the group stage top of the pile. Fallon Sherrock was the talk of the tournament after her outstanding performance against Gabriel Clemens, coming from 3-1 down to win the match 5-3 on a 170 finish, by far one of the best matches we’ve seen at the Grand Slam. Gabriel’s place in the last 16 was snatched away by Fallon after an inspired performance. Mike De Decker didn’t have the best of times in wolverhampton, leaving the Grand Slam on 0 points.

Group F

  1. Mensur Suljovic – Last 16
  2. Jose de Sousa (7) – Last 16
  3. Luke Humphries
  4. Matt Campbell

Mensur gave us a reminder of why he is still one of the most dangerous players on the circuit after clinical victories in the round robin stage. Defending champion Jose de Sousa ended up second putting him through to the last 16 after getting a vital leg against Luke Humpries. Matt Campbell was another player who couldn’t find joy after crashing out on 0pts. 

Group G

  1. Michael van Gerwen (3) – Last 16
  2. Joe Cullen – Last 16
  3. John Henderson
  4. Lisa Ashton

In Group G, Michael Van Gerwen took the top spot, looking very much like the old MVG, winning 3 out of 3 with a leg difference of +12. Joe Cullen managed to land the second spot to secure his place in the knockout stages. John Henderson was unlucky, not being able to hit the ground running and Lisa Ashton once again had a Grand Slam to forget, crashing out of her 7th Grand Slam in the group stage once again.

Group H

  1. Michael Smith – Last 16
  2. Gary Anderson (6) – Last 16
  3. Raymond van Barneveld
  4. Joe Davis

Michael Smith looked on track to win his first major title after some excellent accounts of himself in Group H, ending the group with 3 wins. Gary Anderson once again showed his class ending up in second, sealing his place in the knockout stages. The Target Darts man, Raymond had a chance to get through, but Gary was too much for him to handle, although he will appreciate being on the big stage once again. Joe Davis was suffering with tennis elbow and could not play to the best of his ability, although he did take 3 legs from Michael Smith after some double trouble.

Last 16 (Best of 19 Legs)

  • Ryan Joyce 4-10 Rob Cross
  • James Wade 10-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
  • Gerwyn Price 10-8 Bradley Brooks
  • Johnny Clayton 10-2 Nathan Rafferty

Rob Cross was just too much for Ryan Joyce to handle, seeming to be in the form of the past when he won his world title. James Wade demolished Rowby-John in impressive fashion, with RJR taking only one leg. Gerwyn Price showed everyone why he is world champion and world number 1 in an impressive victory over an inspired Bradley Brooks Finally, Johnny Clayton was too hot to handle for Nathan Rafferty, letting the young player have only 2 legs.

  • Michael Smith 10-5 Joe Cullen
  • Peter Wright 10-9 Jose de Sousa
  • Fallon Sherrock 10-5 Mensur Suljovic
  • Michael Van Gerwen 10-8 Gary Anderson

Michael Smith continued his hopes for a first major with a convincing victory over Joe Cullen. Peter Wright sent the defending champion crashing out after an outstanding performance under immense pressure. Once again though, the talk of the last 16 was Fallon Sherrock, once again knocking Mensur out of a major tournament with a history-making win. MVG v Gary Anderson was the spectacle we all hoped it would be with 14 180s and both players averaging over 100. MVG took the match after Anderson blinked, sealing his place in the Quarter finals.

Quarter Finals (Best of 31 Legs)

  • James Wade 16-14 Rob Cross
  • Gerwyn Price 16-12 Johnny Clayton

In the first quarter final James Wade sealed his spot in the semis after a classic against the Target Darts man Rob Cross. Voltage looked to be in fine form but couldn’t get the job done against the Machine. Price v Clayton has become a fan favourite matchup in recent months, after both players having outstanding performances throughout the PDC calendar. Price landed his place in the semi-finals in fine form, keeping his hopes of a third Grand Slam title alive.

  • Peter Wright 16-13 Fallon Sherrock
  • Michael Van Gerwen 13-16 Michael Smith

Peter Wright ended Fallon Sherrocks hopes of major victory in a stunning match that both players can be proud of. In the post match interview Peter Wright stated that Fallon deserves a place in the Premier League, which is a controversial topic in the darts world at the minute. Michael Smith beats the world number 3, MVG to seal his place in the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts semi finals. This was looking like the year that Michael Smith breaks his major curse and could go on to win the title.

Semi Finals (Best of 31 Legs)

  • Gerwyn Price 16-9 James Wade
  • Peter Wright 16-12 Michael Smith

Gerwyn Price breezed into the final in a walkover performance from Wade. The Machine just couldn’t get started and by the time he did the game was all over. Michael Smith’s place in the final looked all but sealed after he went 12-8 up against Peter Wright. Snakebite put in the performance of his career winning the next 8 legs to beat the Bully Boy 16-12, with Wright averaging around 107 for those 8 legs. These were some good matches in the darts betting world.

Final (Best of 31 Legs)

Gerwyn Price 16-8 Peter Wright

It was truly the final that all darts fans were looking for, the number 1 seed against the number 2 seed, the cream had truly risen to the top, and we were in for a fantastic final, or so we thought. Gerwyn took the early lead with heavy scoring and a high checkout percentage, and Snakebite could not get started. Loose darts all over the board gave him a mountain to climb, giving the Iceman a relatively simple victory, landing him his third Grand Slam of Darts title.

Grand Slam of Darts Prize Money

Here is a rundown of the prize money on offer in the Grand Slam of Darts:

  • Winner = £125,000 (1)
  • Runner Up = £65,000 (1)
  • Semi-finalists = £40,000 (2)
  • Quarter-finalists = £20,000 (4)
  • Last 16 = £10,000 (8)
  • 3rd in Group = £7,500 (8)
  • 4th in Group = £4,000 (8)
  • Group Winner Bonus = £3,500 (8)

PDC Order of Merit

Here’s how the PDC Darts order of merit is looking after the Grand Slam of Darts:

1 Gerwyn Price £1,246,750

2 Peter Wright £1,091,500

3 Michael van Gerwen £816,750

4 James Wade £479,750

5 Dimitri Van den Bergh £438,750

6 Gary Anderson £412,500

7 Jose de Sousa £397,250

8 Jonny Clayton £380,250

9 Michael Smith £350,750

10 Nathan Aspinall £345,000

11 Rob Cross £327,000

12 Krzysztof Ratajski £315,250

13 Joe Cullen £301,250

14 Dave Chisnall £285,500

15 Stephen Bunting £241,750

16 Dirk van Duijvenbode £234,250

17 Danny Noppert £223,750

18 Simon Whitlock £217,250

19 Luke Humphries £214,500

20 Mervyn King £213,750

21 Glen Durrant £204,500

22 Ryan Searle £201,250

23 Daryl Gurney £198,250

24 Gabriel Clemens £195,750

25 Mensur Suljovic £189,500

26 Ian White £187,500

27 Devon Petersen £185,500

28 Brendan Dolan £181,000

29 Chris Dobey £154,000

30 Vincent van der Voort £153,000

31 Damon Heta £142,250

32 Kim Huybrechts £130,500

33 Darius Labanauskas £123,500

34 Ross Smith £121,750

34 Adrian Lewis £121,750

36 Jermaine Wattimena £121,250

37 Callan Rydz £120,250

38 Jeffrey De Zwaan £117,750

39 Ryan Joyce £115,500

40 Jamie Hughes £111,250

41 Ricky Evans £110,500

42 William O’Connor £91,250

43 Steve Beaton £87,500

44 Luke Woodhouse £78,750

45 John Henderson £73,750

46 Steve West £73,500

47 Max Hopp £73,000

48 Adam Hunt £72,500

49 Keegan Brown £70,000

50 Madars Razma £68,250

51 Martijn Kleermaker £68,000

52 Steve Lennon £65,000

53 Jason Lowe £63,000

54 Ron Meulenkamp £61,500

55 Andy Boulton £59,000

56 Maik Kuivenhoven £53,250

57 Mickey Mansell £52,000

58 Jeff Smith £49,000

59 Jelle Klaasen £48,500

60 Darren Webster £48,000

61 Scott Waites £46,500

62 Matthew Edgar £44,750

63 Justin Pipe £44,000

64 Boris Krcmar £42,500

65 Karel Sedlacek £40,500

66 Ryan Murray £40,250

67 William Borland £39,500

68 Mike De Decker £38,000

69 Bradley Brooks £36,000

70 Wayne Jones £35,500

71 Josh Payne £35,000

72 Ted Evetts £34,750

73 Andy Hamilton £34,000

74 Raymond van Barneveld £33,500

75 Martin Schindler £33,000

76 Ryan Meikle £32,750

77 Nick Kenny £32,000

78 Derk Telnekes £30,000

79 Alan Soutar £29,500

80 Rowby-John Rodriguez £29,000

81 Lisa Ashton £28,000

82 James Wilson £25,500

83 Ritchie Edhouse £25,250

84 Scott Mitchell £25,000

85 Florian Hempel £24,000

86 Alan Tabern £22,750

86 Keane Barry £22,750

88 Mark McGeeney £22,500

89 Peter Jacques £21,500

89 Ciaran Teehan £21,500

91 Kai Fan Leung £20,500

92 Lewis Williams £20,250

93 Fallon Sherrock £20,000

93 Joe Murnan £20,000

95 Krzysztof Kciuk £19,250

96 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez £18,500

97 Steve Brown £18,250

98 Adam Gawlas £17,500

98 Cristo Reyes £17,500

100 Jesus Noguera £16,750

101 Jason Heaver £15,000

101 Martin Atkins £15,000

103 Chas Barstow £14,500

104 Kevin Doets £13,500

105 Daniel Larsson £12,500

106 Eddie Lovely £11,500

107 Niels Zonneveld £10,750

108 Aaron Beeney £10,500

108 Gordon Mathers £10,500

110 Nathan Rafferty £10,000

110 Geert De Vos £10,000

112 Martin Lukeman £9,500

113 Robert Thornton £9,000

113 Gary Blades £9,000

113 Adam Smith-Neale £9,000

116 Jim Williams £8,500

117 Danny Baggish £8,000

117 Andrew Gilding £8,000

117 Boris Koltsov £8,000

117 Geert Nentjes £8,000

117 Luc Peters £8,000

117 John Brown £8,000

123 Martin Thomas £7,500

124 Jack Main £7,000

125 John Michael £6,750

126 Jon Worsley £6,500

127 Jim McEwan £6,000

127 Peter Hudson £6,000

127 David Evans £6,000

127 Berry van Peer £6,000

127 Zoran Lerchbacher £6,000

132 Steffen Siepmann £5,500

133 Brett Claydon £5,000

133 Jose Justicia £5,000

133 Harald Leitinger £5,000

136 Kirk Shepherd £4,500

137 Matt Campbell £4,000

137 Joe Davis £4,000

137 Michael Rasztovits £4,000

137 Gino Vos £4,000

137 Darren Penhall £4,000

137 Wesley Harms £4,000

143 Gavin Carlin £3,500

143 Jake Jones £3,500

145 Sean Fisher £3,000

145 Christian Kist £3,000

147 Ryan De Vreede £2,500

147 Kevin McDine £2,500

147 Lukas Wenig £2,500

147 Sebastian Bialecki £2,500

151 Andreas Harrysson £2,000

151 Kenny Neyens £2,000

151 Richard Veenstra £2,000

151 Benito van de Pas £2,000

151 Vincent Van der Meer £2,000

156 Carl Wilkinson £1,500

156 Michael Unterbuchner £1,500

158 Scott Williams £1,000

158 Davy Proosten £1,000

158 Justin Broton £1,000

158 Justin Hewitt £1,000

158 Patrik Kovacs £1,000

158 Dyson Parody £1,000

158 Craig Galliano £1,000

158 Jozsef Rucska £1,000

158 Peter Strbik £1,000

158 Janos Vegso £1,000

158 Gabor Jagicza £1,000

158 Johan Engstrom £1,000

158 Thomas Lovely £1,000

158 Shane McGuirk £1,000

158 Lorenzo Pronk £1,000

158 Pero Ljubic £1,000

158 Robert Marijanovic £1,000

158 Mike Warburton £1,000

158 Scott Taylor £1,000

158 Rhys Griffin £1,000

178 Patrick van den Boogaard £500

178 Michal Smejda £500

Summary

The 2021 Grand Slam of darts was an outstanding tournament and did not disappoint. With Gerwyn Price taking home his third Grand Slam title, he will be looking to add to his collection in the upcoming Players Championship Finals in Minehead, and the crown jewel, the World Darts Championships at the Alexandra Palace. Make sure to check back for a preview of both tournaments and some darts betting tips along the way.