Van Gerwen was our tip to win from the start, but Robert Thornton is playing too well to suffer a whitewash
Michael van Gerwen was our tip to win the World Grand Prix from the start.
But when Phil Taylor, James Wade, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis all crashed out before the quarter-finals, this became a near certainty.
Robert Thornton is the player now standing in his way and there is little chance of the Scot can stopping the inevitable.
The former UK Open champion has been impressive all week but will have to improve his performance even further to down the Dutchman.
The Thorn last beat Mighty Mike in 2013, losing seven straight contests since then. He has only beaten him once on stage and that in 2008 in their first-ever meeting in the UK Open.
Thornton rarely gets blown away by anyone, though, and he will not suffer a whitewash like Dave Chisnall did against Taylor in the 2013 final.
The two Premier League meetings between MvG and the Thorn in 2014 finished 7-5 to the former and in 2013 they played out a draw.
So Thornton should win at least a couple of sets, especially if he maintains the 90 average he has managed through most of the tournament.
Last year MVG conceded three sets to Wade who averaged under 90 and, in 2012, Mervyn King won four sets averaging just under 82.
So while Van Gerwen is going to win the match and tournament, you can rely on Thornton to grab a couple of sets and he is available with a +2.5 handicap at evens, which is a reliable investment.
He is so sound on double top and has enough big-game experience not to expect him to drop off under the pressure.
