Wayne Mardle looks at six major talking points ahead of this year's World Matchplay

The World Matchplay represents one of the highlights of the darting calendar and despite the unfamiliar circumstances surrounding this year's showpiece, Wayne Mardle still expects nine days of drama in Milton Keynes.

After the five-day Summer Series signalled darts' safe return following the coronavirus pandemic, all eyes remain on Milton Keynes where the sport's biggest names will reconvene for nine days of top-level darts.

• 2020 World Matchplay: Results, draw, schedule
• Milton Keynes to host revised Premier League Darts

It will be the first time since the tournament's inception that the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool will not host proceedings, but as Rob Cross bids to defend his title, Sky Sports expert Wayne Mardle returns to preview what promises to be a fascinating event....

Atmosphere will be different - the standard won't

I think the quality of the play will be amazing like it normally is. The Matchplay produces; purely because of the format, you get comebacks, you get the odd shock here and there, but it is such a brilliant event because it is leg in leg out.

It will be different because there's a lack of atmosphere. Gerwyn Price has already said that he needs an atmosphere to fire himself up, so they are thinking about it the players, but the players play in a similar environment week in week out.

You are going to see the odd big celebration, because players like Van Gerwen and Price - they need that. There will be others that will be so pleased that there is not anyone there, like maybe Ian White, Justin Pipe and Danny Noppert.

I think we have seen enough of Price and Van Gerwen to know that they do not need an atmosphere to produce their best, but they like an atmosphere. They will get used to it.

I remember playing in Atlanta. We were playing in a tiny room off a Holiday Inn reception that was soulless, and I beat James Wade there in the final of a Pro Tour event. There was no atmosphere there at all, you could hear people checking in!

Then you start to become engrossed in a game and then the atmosphere does not matter, because you know at the end of the match or that particular tournament, you have either won it, or you are through to the next round.

The game takes over the importance of everything else. They will miss the atmosphere initially but they will soon get over it, like the people watching at home.

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Opening round upsets?

The two players who are going to be less confident than they were going into the event because of the Summer Series are Michael Smith and Joe Cullen. Yes there were some good games, but not enough.

The draw is quite interesting. You have got Ian White taking on Joe Cullen again. Last year that was a 10-0 win for Ian White. Joe Cullen went into that match and I quietly fancied him!

Daryl Gurney takes on Ricky Evans again. They met in the Matchplay last year and Gurney beat him. There are some intriguing ones.

I've been a real fan of Michael Smith. I think he has got it. I don't know what happened to him in the Summer Series. There were some real poor games and low averages in the 80s - that is not Michael Smith.

Jonny Clayton will look at that thinking: 'Do you know what, I've got a hell of a chance'. I think that could be an upset.

Ryan Joyce who qualified on the back of that incredible win against Chizzy, he's got Simon Whitlock. Whitlock is just inconsistent. We don't know what to expect from him.

De Zwaan & Van den Bergh - time to kick on

There are a few that I do believe will be absolute crackers. Glen Durrant takes on Jeffrey de Zwaan. You have got a semi-finalist from last year against a semi-finalist from two years ago.

De Zwaan has not kicked on. I don't know what is going on with him. We know he has the talent.

I don't know what he is doing in terms of practice, if he is questioning his belief, if he is thinking 'this is never going to happen'.

I am really not sure but what I do know, a bit like Dimitri Van den Bergh - they are not going in the right direction at the moment.

I am still surprised this is Dimitri Van den Bergh's debut in the event. Aspinall versus Dimitri Van den Bergh could be a great game.

No surprise winner

We have seen Van Gerwen - he's the man to beat. Price and Wright are so close in terms of getting to finals and winning.

Personally for me, they are the only three winners. Price, Van Gerwen and Wright. I don't see outside of them, because of the format as well. They are so good, so often and they have been for so long now.

When we came out of this break for the Summer Series, everyone was saying: 'What is going to happen? I think we're going to see shock results, shock winners'. No! Three months makes no difference to Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright or Gerwyn Price.

They were still the best players. Rob Cross as well - they get to the latter stages and finals because they are the best players. That is an absolute fact. They are the top four players in the world and they competed in finals.

Ryan Joyce came out of it with a qualifying spot and a win. Absolutely incredible. Ricky Evans held on, so he may feel like he has got a bit of a free roll. Gurney threw some amazing darts but Van Gerwen for me is still the man to beat.

Looking at that bottom half, it is Wright or Price and looking at the top, I can't believe I am saying this, but I don't believe Anderson is a match for Michael van Gerwen anymore. I just don't and if I get proved wrong, fair enough.

Time for Jackpot to turn the tide?

The one I am really looking forward to, because I believe they will both think they can win - Adrian Lewis vs Steve Beaton - I think this could be the closest tie of the round.

I am not saying Adrian has regressed this much, but I actually think Steve could beat him, so therefore I am believing that Adrian must have regressed to a point.

There is going to come a time where he just carries on regressing or this regression stops. I think the sport needs Adrian Lewis to get back there, because in terms of entertainers in the game, I don't think there is that many right now.

I think we are relying on Van Gerwen. We are relying on Price to give it some. There are others of course there are, but Lewis is a born darting entertainer - his rhythm, his pace and just the way he carries himself when he is playing well.

Clemens & De Sousa to make their mark?

It is okay playing best of 11 legs all the time, but this is different and it is on a big stage. Forget the lack of atmosphere, you have got cameras pointing at you. It is different.

Clemens has reached a World Series final in Germany and there were 20,000 fans there, so he knows what he is doing and I think he's playing better now than ever. This Summer Series has highlighted that I think he is throwing better.

De Sousa is an absolute machine. I don't get it. He is 46 years of age and he's been around now for three or four years. Some of the performances, 100+ averages, game in game out.

What it does show everyone is that he can continue to do it. There is no point banging in the odd average of over a ton then going back to 87, 88. That just does not win anything.

Unfortunately for De Sousa and Clemens, they have got Peter Wright and Rob Cross respectively. They are horrible draws, especially over this format.

Rob Cross is the defending champion, but nobody has won the Matchplay in two different venues! It is a shame that it has moved from the Winter Gardens, but needs must.

Darts returns to Sky Sports in July, with nine days of coverage from the World Matchplay getting underway on Saturday, July 18, and every day until the final on Sunday, July 26.